§ Mr. James Hillasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will issue a circular to local authorities to give greater publicity designed to inform disabled owner-occupiers of the free financial aid they give to adapt the home to make their living conditions easier.
§ Mr. AlisonMy right hon. Friend will shortly be giving guidance to local authorities about their duty under Section 1 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, to publicise their services for handicapped persons, including assistance in arranging for adaptations to dwellings.
§ Mr. James Hillasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimates his Department have made of the number of disabled owner-occupiers in unadapted accommodation.
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§ Mr. AlisonInformation about numbers is not readily available but the report of the national survey on "Handicapped and Impaired in Great Britain", carried out by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, estimates that in 1968–69 approximately 73 per cent. of disabled owner-occupiers lived in unadapted accommodation, though it is not known how far they require adaptations.
§ Mr. James Hillasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the total numbers of disabled owner- occupiers each year over the past five years who have been given free financial aid by local government authorities to adapt their homes to make their living conditions easier.
§ Mr. AlisonI regret that information about adaptations to homes is not collected centrally.