HC Deb 22 December 1981 vol 15 cc862-3
14. Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what he regards as the most important achievements of the International Year of Disabled People so far as the United Kingdom is concerned; and whether he has any proposals for maintaining the initiatives of the year.

The Minister for Social Security (Mr. Hugh Rossi)

This most successful year has seen many achievements, but probably the most import ant are the improvements in attitudes and in awareness. I should like to express my gratitude and admiration to all those who have worked so hard to make the year a success. The Government hope to issue a special report in the new year setting out their proposals for maintaining the momentum generated by the year.

Mr. Ashley

When the Minister speaks of the success of the year, will he recognise that many disabled people feel great resentment at the cuts in the invalidity benefit during the year, in the social services, in the number of disablement resettlement officers and in the quota system, which protects the employment of disabled people? Is he aware that the real achievement of the year is that disabled people have now decided to act for themselves and to fight for themselves? They have formed the British Council of Organisations of the Disabled. Will he support the council by offering it funds, and will he meet it in the new year?

Mr. Rossi

I regard it as one of the great achievements of the year that the disabled have achieved a greater confidence in themselves and are coming forward, organising and asserting themselves. I welcome that. If any new organisation makes an application, it will be dealt with in in the ordinary way. I must join issue with the right hon. Gentleman, in that I do not accept that the disabled generally are financially worse off this year. It is estimated that between 1980–81 and 1981–82 expenditure on benefits for the disabled will have risen by 16 per cent. We are now paying out almost £3,000 million in cash benefits for the disabled.

I am not satisfied that we cannot do more, but in the present economic circumstances that is a very creditable performance. When I attended the Council of Ministers recently in connection with the problems of the disabled, the United Kingdom was congratulated on all that we had done for the disabled this year.

Sir Albert Costain

Will my hon. Friend appreciate that his visit to a school for the disabled in my constituency gave a great deal of pleasure and created a great deal of confidence? Will he please visit it again, before the next International Year of Disabled People?

Mr. Rossi

I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for what he said. I well remember the visit, which was one of many visits that I have undertaken this year in connection with the year—from releasing pigeons on behalf of the Blackpool blind on the Normandy beaches on D-day, to attending my hon. Friend's constituency and the constituencies of many others of my hon. Friends in connection with the year.

Mr. Alfred Morris

Will the Minister now answer the very important question put to him recently by the Wandsworth borough council and explain why he told the council that it had a legal duty to provide a telephone for one disabled person on its waiting list and not for the other 129? Will the Minister be satisfied, in this International Year of Disabled People, if other councils, such as Liverpool, provide a telephone only for people whose names he knows?

In view of all that the Minister has said this afternoon, will he give a straight pledge that he will reverse the cut in invalidity benefit for 650,000 chronically sick and disabled people and their families?

Mr. Rossi

On the last point, my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has stated that he will restore the abatement of invalidity benefit as soon as it comes into taxation.

With regard to Wandsworth, no doubt the right hon. Gentleman will be as glad as I am to know that we have been instrumental in securing telephones more quickly for those people. I emphasise, however, that this case does not reflect any change in interpretation or policy regarding the application of section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. Ministers have always made it clear that their understanding of the section is that it requires local authorities to assess the needs of disabled people and, if they are satisfied that a particular service is needed, to ensure that it is provided. Moreover, Wandsworth has an excellent record in these matters.

Mr. Forman

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that social security expenditure by the Government on the disabled has increased by some 8 per cent. in real terms since 1978–79? Is not that an example of effective Conservative compassion?

Mr. Rossi

I am happy to confirm what my hon. Friend has said. There has been an increase in expenditure in real terms in this area.