Vol. 488 No. 4
200 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the proposed expenditure by his Department in 1998 on services for the mentally handicapped; the plans, if any, he has to extend the number of residential, respite and day care places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6397/98]
I was pleased to be in a position to provide £16 million additional revenue and capital funding for services to persons with a mental handicap in 1998 to continue the process of delivering on the Government's commitment to provide additional services in line with the needs outlined in An Assessment of Need for Services to Persons with a Mental Handicap 1997-2001, and to strengthen existing services. Details of the precise services to be put in place in each health board region are currently being agreed by the regional mental handicap co-ordinating committees. As not all health board regions have submitted their plans to my Department in respect of 1998 I am not in a position at present to indicate the new services which will be made available this year. The latest available figure for total Government expenditure on mental handicap services is £225.095 million in 1996.
A programme of new building is essential for the delivery of the services required to meet the needs which have been identified in the assessment of need. I am, therefore, putting in place a £30 million capital programme for mental handicap services to run over four years in tandem with the assessment of need.
