HC Deb 17 July 1973 vol 860 cc243-4
13. Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will review the procedure whereby information regarding aids for the disabled can be made more readily known to the medical profession and social services departments; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Alison

My right hon. Friend is already reviewing this question, and he will make his conclusions known in due course.

Mr. Carter-Jones

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his answer. Will he make sure that next year his Department is represented at the Naidex exhibition organised by the Central Council at Brighton so that people may be aware of what is available? Secondly, will he make sure that the excellent work of the Disabled Living Foundation is spread to the provinces so that they may see, on a permanent basis, what is available? Thirdly, will he consider the recommendation contained in "Care with Dignity" issued by the National Fund for Research into Crippling Diseases that many exhibitions should be held in places like libraries, stores and department stores so that the public and the disabled may become aware of the problems and of what is available to overcome them?

Mr. Alison

I will consider the hon. Gentleman's first and third questions. On his second question, I think he knows that we already make an annual grant towards the cost of the information service provided by the Disabled Living Foundation, and I believe that this helps in the difficult task of reaching the many local authorities which might have an interest in the information available.

Dr. Vaughan

Does my hon. Friend agree that bodies such as the Rowntree Trust and others which have funds available should give much more information on the basis on which they can supply money and the numbers of cases coming to them?

Mr. Alison

Lacking advance notice of that question, I would not want entirely to subscribe to what my hon. Friend has said. But I corroborate and underline the fact that we cannot make too much information available to the public about the crucial services which exist.