asked the Minister for Health if he accepts that in relation to psychiatric services, institutional care should remain until community care facilities have been properly developed; the additional finances which have been allocated to the health boards for the provision of community care facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I am committed to the development of a comprehensive, community based psychiatric service. The report, Psychiatric Services — Planning for the Future, outlines the steps needed in order to achieve this. The health boards are now working on implementation plans based on the report's recommendations. New community services will in many instances replace existing hospital services. This means that the build up of community services and the scaling down of institutional services will occur simultaneously.

Community psychiatric facilities do not necessarily need to be purpose-built. Many hostels for the mentally ill are provided by the local authorities and existing buildings can be adapted for use as day centres. The health board's plans will include their requirements for new community psychiatric services. The detailed proposals will be examined in the context of the health board's overall plan and a decision as to funding will then be made.

I put down this question because of the widespread concern about the closure of two psychiatric hospitals. What exactly is meant by "community based care"? Does the Minister accept that the experience in other countries indicates that simply the closure of hospitals and failure to provide adequate community based care has resulted in a demand for the re-opening of these institutions and that we should avoid that at all costs?

I have no intention of contributing to such a situation. We will and we can avoid it. There is no comparison whatsoever between the position here and, for example, in the US and Italy which we hear cited so frequently. I have met the Italian Minister for Health and I know that the position there is totally different from ours. It is possible to provide community services which would not be additional to existing institutional services but, as far as possible, replacements for them. We are doing that in consultation, in particular, with the two health boards concerned. We will work unceasingly this year to bring that about.