To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people suffering from schizophrenia have been released from mental institutions (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in the North West region, during each of the last five years.

The number of discharges of patients treated for a main diagnosis of schizophrenia from National Health Service mental illness hospitals and units for the last five available years, 1982–86, for England and the North Western regional health authority are shown in the table. The figures relate to discharges and cannot be related to individual patients; a patient may be admitted more than once in a year.

	England	North Western RHA
1982	24,594	2,348
1983	25,336	2,331
1984	25,934	2,683
1985	26,225	2,875
1986	26,077	2,621

The figures for Wales and Northern Ireland are a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Northern Ireland respectively. The figures for Scotland are a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.