§ 2. Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he received the information relating to the Survey on the Numbers and Conditions of Disabled People; and why it has not yet been published.
§ 36. Mr. Astorasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will publish the information relating to eligibility for the constant attendance allowance obtained from the survey of disability which his Department is carryout.
§ The Minister of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Mr. David Ennals)We obtained from the survey, which covered only adults living at home, preliminary information on which to base an estimate of the total number of people likely to qualify for the attendance allowance. I will circulate a short summary in the OFFICIAL REPORT: copies of a fuller version have been placed in the Library. The full survey report is not likely to be completed until the autumn, but if sections of the information can usefully be published in advance they will be.
§ Mr. AshleyIs my hon. Friend now in receipt of the information relating to this survey? If so, what is happening to it between now and the autumn? Can my hon. Friend also say whether the Government are prepared to pay a constant attendance allowance to disabled people before 1972?
§ Mr. EnnalsThe information from the survey does exist, but only in the form of raw material which is being processed by computers at the moment. I can promise my hon. Friend that I will consider publication when I get the information in an intelligible form. I have nothing to say about the timetable for introducing the attendance allowance. My hon. Friend will notice that the National Superannuation Bill provides different appointed days for different purposes.
§ Mr. AstorDoes not the Minister agree that the figures so far published reveal that a high proportion of the people who are eligible for constant attendance allowance are aged 65 or over? Will he bear that fact in mind in considering whether this allowance can be introduced ahead of the main provisions of the Bill?
§ Mr. EnnalsIt is true that the survey information shows that a substantial proportion of those who are likely to qualify for the allowance are elderly people. As I said in answer to my hon. Friend the question of the date of the introduction of the attendance allowance is one on which I have no further statement to make at the moment.
§ Mr. DeanWill the Minister bear in mind that it will inevitably take time for the proposed board to do its work? Does he agree that this emphasises the need for a much earlier date for the start of this part of the Bill than the other parts?
§ Mr. EnnalsI can appreciate the case made by the hon. Gentleman. There is a great deal of work to be done, not only in establishing the board and the principles on which it will work, but also in processing the initial applications, which will almost certainly be far greater in number than those eventually granted. That will be a major job for the board and the boarding doctors.
§ Following is the information:
§ SEVERELY DISABLED ADULTS LIVING AT HOME WHOSE ATTENDANCE NEEDS WERE BROADLY THOSE COVERED BY THE DEFINITION IN CLAUSE 17 OF THE NATIONAL SUPERANNUATION AND SOCIAL INSURANCE BILL
§ Total Number: 25,000; of whom 20,000 were women and 5,000 were men. (About 70 per cent. of the men and 85 per cent. of the women were aged 65 or over.)
| Marital Status | Men (percentage) | Women (percentage) | ||
| Married | … | … | 60 | 38 |
| Single | … | … | 20 | 17 |
| Widowed | … | … | 20 | 45 |
§ Proportion (per 1,000) of men and women in different age groups.
| Age | Men | Women | Men and Women | ||
| 16–29 | … | … | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| 30–49 | … | … | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| 50–64 | … | … | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| 65–74 | … | … | 0.7 | 1.9 | 1.4 |
| 75 and over | … | … | 2.6 | 8.0 | 6.2 |
| All Ages | … | … | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.6 |
§ Note: Some people were suffering from two disabling conditions which they rated as being of equal importance.
| BROAD DEPARTMENTAL ESTIMATE OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIKELY TO QUALIFY FOR ATTENDANCE ALLOWANCE | ||
| Adults living at home | … | 25,000 |
| Adults in residential care* | … | 15,000 |
| Children* | … | 10,000 |
| * There is no firm basis for these stimates. |