asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the departmental guidelines for the provision of residential accommodation for the elderly; if he will list those local authorities that meet the recommended level of provision; and whether Walsall exceeds or approaches these guidelines.

The departmental guideline for the provision of residential accommodation for the elderly is 25 places per 1,000 population aged 65 years and over. This cannot of course take into account varying local circumstances.Information collected centrally relates solely to the numbers of residents supported by local authorities in their own homes or elsewhere. This suggests that at 31st March 1977 the following local authorities met or exceeded the guideline:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many areas of service provided by social services departments guidelines exist; if he will list these together with the guidelines; and whether Walsall exceeds any of these.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what are the departmental guidelines for the provision of residential accommodation for mentally handicapped adults; if he will list those local authorities that meet the recommended level of provision; and whether Walsall exceeds or approaches these guidelines;(2) what are the departmental guidelines for the provision of residental care for mentally handicapped children; if he will list those local authorities that meet the recommended level of provision; and if Walsall exceeds these guidelines or is approaching them;(3) what are the departmental guidelines for the provision of day care facilities for the mentally handicapped; if he will list those local authorities that meet the recommended level of provision; and if Walsall exceeds these guidelines or is approaching them in this instance.

Departmental guidelines for local authority provision to be achieved by the early 1990s were shown in the Priorities document "The Way Forward" published in September 1977.The position as at March 1977 was as follows:

Guidelines to the provision of certain personal social services were most recently published in local authority circular (78)6, issued by my Department in March 1978, and were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the departmental guidelines for the provision of day care facilities for the elderly; if he will list those local authorities than meet the recommended level of provision; and if Walsall exceeds these guidelines or is approaching them in this instance.

The Department guideline for provision of day care facilities for the elderly is about three-four places per 1,000 elderly people—aged 65 or over. This cannot take into account varying local circumstances. The guideline is subject to review in the light of the results of research in progress and other factors relating to the changing age structure of the elderly population. At 31st March 1977 the following local authorities met or exceeded the guideline:

• Bedfordshire
• Bexley
• Brent
• Bromley
• Cleveland
• Calderdale
• Camden
• Doncaster
• Dorset
• Dudley
• Enfield
• Harrow
• Havering
• Hillingdon
• Humberside
• Islington
• Kingston on Thames
• Kirklees
• Lambeth
• Leeds
• Leicestershire
• Lewisham
• Manchester
• Merton
• Nottinghamshire
• Redbridge
• Richmond on Thames
• Rochdale
• Rotherham
• Salford
• Sandwell
• South Tyneside
• Tower Hamlets
• Wandsworth
• Wigan
• Wolverhampton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the departmental guidelines for the provision of home helps; and if he will list those local authorities that meet the recommended level of provision; and if Walsall exceeds these guidelines or is approaching them.

The latest guidelines issued by my Department for the provision of home helps provide for a ratio of 12 home helps per 1,000 population aged 65 and over. The authorities meeting this level of provision were listed in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockport, North (Mr. Bennett) on 15th May. —[Vol. 950, c. 43.] At 30th September 1976, which is the latest date for which figures are available, there were in Walsall 5·9 home helps per 1,000 population aged 65 and over.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the departmental guidelines for the provision of meals on wheels; if he will list those local authorities that meet the recommended level of provision; and if Walsall exceeds those guidelines or approaches them.

The departmental guideline for provision of meals on wheels is about 200 meals per week per 1,000 elderly people—aged 65 or over. This cannot, of course, take into acount varying local circumstances. The guideline is subject to review in the light of the results of research in progress and other factors relating to the changing age structure of the elderly population. In the year ending 31st March 1977 the following local authorities met or exceeded the guideline:

• Barking.
• Camden.
• City of London.
• Cleveland.
• Ealing.
• Greenwich.
• Hackney.
• Hammersmith.
• Haringey
• Hillingdon.
• Hounslow.
• Islington.
• Lambeth.
• Lewisham.
• Manchester.
• Southwark.
• Tower Hamlets.
• Wandsworth.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total expenditure on the personal social services per 1,000 head of population in (a) Walsall and (b) each of the 14 district and London boroughs designated other than partnership and programme authorities under the Inner Urban Areas Bill.

The figures for 1976–77, based on expenditure returns made by local authorities, are are follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the departmental guidelines for the provision of residential accommodation for the mentally ill; if he will list those local authorities that meet the recommended level of provision; and if Walsall exceeds these guidelines or is approaching them in this instance.

The guideline planning figures for residential places for the mentally ill are ratios of 4–6 short-stay places and 15–24 long-stay places per 100,000 population.At 31st March 1977, the following local authorities had 19 or more residential places per 100,000:

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the departmental guidelines for the provision of day care facilities for the mentally ill; if he will list those local authorities that meet the recommended level of provision; and if Walsall exceeds these guidelines or is approaching them in this instance.

The guideline planning figure for day centre places for the mentally ill is a ratio of 60 places to 100,000 population, although local needs will vary with local circumstances. At 31st March 1977, the London boroughs of Newham, Southwark and Tower Hamlets had met the guideline ratio. Walsall has a ratio of about 10 places to 100,000 population. There are nearly 7,000 day centre places available nationally which are not allocated to a specific group. Information available