HC Deb 16 March 1971 vol 813 cc1160-2
2. Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement on the implementation of Section 1 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, 1970.

The Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security (Mr. Michael Alison)

As I told the House on 23rd February, my right hon. Friend will shortly be introducing an Order to bring Section 1 of the Act into force on 1st October.

Mr. Morris

Does the hon. Gentleman appreciate that there is concern about the delay in implementing Section 1? Would he agree that it would be the merest academic exercise to find out numbers if we are not able to identify the severely disabled people who need help? Will he take that fully into account?

Mr. Alison

Yes. Steps are being taken, as the hon. Gentleman knows, to find out numbers, but before identification of individuals takes place on a wide scale, we believe that the availability of services should be ensured as a preliminary step.

Sir R. Thompson

Would my hon. Friend consider a really big publicity campaign in this connection? Does he realise that there is widespread misapprehension among many people as to what their entitlement may be under this legislation and that this ought to be remedied as soon as possible?

Mr. Alison

Plans for publicity of the provisions made under the Act are now firmly in hand and will be measured to the local needs as assessed by the local authorities concerned.

Mr. Ashley

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that many local authorities are worried about the cost of a 100 per cent. register, partly through the ill-advice which has been circulated, frightening them through wrongly informing them that it would be difficult and expensive, when no one knows how difficult and expensive it will be? Would he consider, perhaps in consultation with the Central Council for the Disabled, operating a pilot scheme in one area and compiling a 100 per cent. register to see how expensive and how difficult it is?

Mr. Alison

A pilot scheme which took even a proportion of those, particularly the representatives of manpower, who should be available to provide services would, of itself, be disadvantageous to the disabled. I will weigh carefully what the hon. Gentleman has said and will write to him about that point.

26. Mr. Kenneth Clarke

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice he is giving to local authorities about the interpretation of Section 2(1)(h) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, 1970, and in deciding priorities in the provision of telephones to disabled people.

Mr. Alison

None at present, but the local authority associations will this week be writing to their members making suggestions with which we are in general agreement.

Mr. Clarke

I thank my hon. Friend for that Answer. Will he expedite this matter? Is he aware that in certain local authority areas which have a good record in this field delay is occurring because of difficulty in drawing up proper scales to make financial assessments of applicants for assistance of this type? Will he use the good offices of his Department to speed up the process by which they are given help in drawing up such scales?

Mr. Alison

My hon. Friend will have noted that action in the shape of a letter from local authority associations is imminent.

Mr. Alfred Morris

Will the hon. Gentleman give urgent attention to using the power in Section 28 of the Act to remove the anticipated difficulties in interpretation and of definition? Why has not this Section been used?

Mr. Alison

The hon. Gentleman can rest assured that any criteria or conditions suggested by the local authority associations for installing telephones are not inflexible and can be developed as time goes on as we gain experience from the demand and the special categories who can benefit from telephones.