§ 5. Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proposals he has for the introduction of a national disability income; and if he will make a statement.
§ 20. Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has for the introduction of a comprehensive national disability pension.
§ Sir K. JosephThe Government have the position of the disabled under close review, but I have no statement to make.
§ Mr. AshleyCould the Minister assure the House that he accepts the principle that severely disabled people should be given some additional income to compensate for the lack of earning power? Could he also assure the House that some steps to implement this proposal will be taken in the next Parliamentary Session?
§ Sir K. JosephI cannot go further than I have said; namely, that the whole position of the disabled is under review by the Government.
§ Mr. MeacherMay I encourage the right hon. Gentleman to go a little further and say that any plans he may form for a national disability pension will include the congenitally disabled and the disabled housewife at home, and confirm that in costing such a pension he will regard as offsets any calculations of the extra productivity the disabled may thus be enabled to achieve?
§ Sir K. JosephThe country must recognise that we have a great deal of leeway to make up with the disabled, and that it will not be possible to do everything we would like to do very quickly, just because there is so much that must be done. But I note the hon. Gentleman's points.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsWill my right hon. Friend give the utmost priority to the severely disabled, who need an extra modicum of income because they are finding life extremely difficult? They need extra warmth and extra food. I hope that in his review he will look very sympathetically at the severely handicapped.
§ Sir K. JosephCertainly this is the first priority. On 1st December the constant attendance allowance for the very severely disabled, the first such payment for those other than the industrial or war disabled, will come into payment.
§ Mr. AstorWill my right hon. Friend consider extending the constant attendance allowance scheme to make more widely available the disability expense allowance to help disabled people 1166 meet the additional costs of both living and working in which they are involved?
§ Sir K. JosephAlready hon. Members have introduced three different criteria—the diminution of earnings, the cost of earning, and help for the severely disabled. The House will recognise that there is ample cause for a thorough review by the Government.