AQW 121/10

Mrs Naomi Long
Alliance Party
East Belfast

Tabled Date: 08/09/2009
Answered On Date: 23/09/2009
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety whether he has the resources required to implement the Bamford Action Plan.

Answer:

I have submitted to the Executive a proposed Action Plan for 2009-2011 on the implementation of the Bamford Review. This focuses on actions which can be achieved over the period to 2011 within the funding levels set out in the Executive’s spending plans following the Comprehensive Spending Review, but some longer term objectives are also signalled in the Plan.

My Department’s total new investment in mental health and learning disability services in support of Bamford amounts to £87m over three years, resulting in recurrent additional investment of £44m from 2010/11.

Substantial resources are also being contributed by other Departments, in particular Department of Education and Department for Social Development.

If the Plan is approved by the Executive, the necessary resources up to 2010/11 are in place. However I have made it clear to Executive colleagues that this is only a start; we will need to continue to secure substantial additional monies for these services in future spending rounds to deliver the Bamford vision. The Bamford Review envisaged a 10-15 year programme of change, costing over £300m in additional resources.