Parliament, Press, Radio and TV

21th April. The Minister of Health, replying to a question from Lord Balniel, stated that the total non-domestic staff for local authority mental health hostels had trebled in the last two years and that most staff, when appointed, had already had some relevant training or experience. He said further that one special training course had been held by the N.A.M.H., and that he understood others to be under consideration. 21th April. Mr. Bernard Braine, replying to a question from Mr. R. Sorensen, stated that no reliable estimate was available of the number of alcoholics, or of the number receiving treatment in 1963. He said that the number of admissions to hospitals in 1962 for the treatment of alcoholism and alcoholic psychosis was estimated at 3,600, and that hospital authorities had been advised to co-operate in after care with Alcoholics Anonymous, and that the Ministry didnotundertakeclinicalresearch directly. 4ih May. Lord Balniel asked the Minister of Health what research was carried out at Broadmoor and Rampton designed to yield new methods and techniques in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mental disorder. Mr. Anthony Barber, replying, said that various studies had been carried out, and that he would provide a written list of recent and current research projects covering such matters as the comparative study of two unselected samples of normal and abnormal murderers, a study of the psychopathic effect of brain damage, and so on. Replying to a further question from Lord Balniel, Mr. Barber gave the average catering costs per person fed per week in various types of non-teaching hospitals. These ranged from a total (covering salaries and wages as well as provisions) of ?1. 8s. lid. in subnormality hospitals and ?1. 12s. 8d. in mental illness hospitals, to ?2. 10s. Id. in acute hospitals. 11 tli May. Replying to questions from Lord Balniel, the Minister of Health stated that the number of non-domestic staff in local authority mental health hostels (in whole-time equivalents) on December 31st was: 71 in 1961, 116 in 1962 and 227 in 1963. He said further that no national standards of training were laid down, that he understood one special two-week co attended by 18 persons was held by .nv^ii\j.wu \jy u jjci owiij w-o i iv i vi ^ j N.A.M.H. early this year, and that oth?^ were under consideration. He said, tocj that a Committee appointed by the NatioP Council of Social Service was consider"1^ j the staffing of all types of residential hofl1^' including the question of training. i 12th May. Mr. Bernard Braine, reply"^ to a question from Dr. D. Johnson, sta^ that Section 26 of the Mental Health A was used to detain patients involuntarily 0 3,195 occasions from May 1st to Dece.. ber 31st, 1961, and on 5,150 occasions1 1962" m 8th June. Replying to a question tf0 Mr. Edwin Wainwright, Mr. Braine gave ^