asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many area health authorities have made plans to set up, in each of their health care districts, local hospitals for the mentally handicapped.

The information is not at present available centrally. Regional health authorties' strategic plans received in my Department do not include specific proposals for each district, though they indicate broad agreement with Government policies for the mentally handicapped. More detailed discussions on the implementation of these policies will take place in the course of the next year.