§ 10. Mr. Ancramasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on Government policy relating to the payment of a blindness allowance.
§ Mr. PrenticeWe have the greatest sympathy for blind people and the problems they face, but the resources are not at present available to finance new benefits.
§ Mr. AncramDoes my right hon. Friend realise that since 1948 blind people in this country have consistently fallen behind and that in comparison with Europe we are not even in the same league? Can he assure the House that, unlike the Labour Government, he regards the provision of help to blind people as a priority?
§ Mr. PrenticeI think that the case for an income in the form of a blind allowance is unanswerable on its merits, but if it were administered at the present time at the rate of £10 a week it would cost about £80 million or £90 million a year. No Government, including the recent Labour Government, have been able to find those resources, and clearly in present circumstances we are not able to find them, either.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisIs the right hon. Gentleman, as Minister with responsibility for the disabled, in any way concerned that there was not a word about the disabled in the Queen's Speech? Does that mean that we shall have to wait at least until 1981 for even a Green Paper about a new general disablement benefit which will embrace blind people? Is it not utterly outrageous that disabled people should be made to wait after a Budget 338 that gave £1,400 million to the richest 5 per cent. of taxpayers in this country?
§ Mr. PrenticeIf it is outrageous that I cannot anounce a general disability income after 11 weeks in office, I wonder what is the appropriate adjective for the right hon. Gentleman, who held this job for five years.