asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will issue a circular to local authorities stressing the need both to provide temporary accommodation for mentally handicapped adults to enable those normally responsible for their care to take holidays and for maximum advance notice of the allocation of accommodation to be given to the families concerned.

Local authorities are already aware of the difficulties faced by families, and do their best to provide short-term relief where this is required. So far as possible notice of vacancies is given. Short-term admissions for this purpose are also made by mental handicap hospitals.