§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he is satisfied that the working of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act ensures that adequate holiday provision is made for disabled persons who need holidays;
(2) how many complaints he has received regarding the failure of local authorities to provide assistance for 66W disabled persons with holidays under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act; and what inquiries he has made;
(3) how many local authorities in total incurred no expenditure on, or assisted no individuals with, holidays in 1980–81.
§ Mr. RossiFor the year ending 31 March 1981 local authority expenditure returns indicated that seven authorities had incurred no expenditure on holidays. This does not necessarily mean that they had not taken action to facilitate the taking of holidays in individual cases, where appropriate. Since 1979 the Department has received a small number of complaints about local authorities not providing holidays in general or not doing so for specific individuals. In appropriate cases inquiries have been made of the authorities, none of which has been found to be in breach of its statutory duties. It is for the authorities themselves to decide what provision to mike in the light of local circumstances and their statutory duties. I have no doubt they will be well aware of the benefit that elderly and disabled people can derive from this form of assistance.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has received any complaints of the failure of the Hertfordshire county council to incur any expenditure on holidays for disabled people under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act in 1980–81; if he will inquire into its failure to make any such provision; and whether he has considered using default powers under section 29 of the National Assistance Act 1948.
§ Mr. RossiI have received no such complaint and am not aware of any cause to consider the exercise of default powers.