§ 1. Mr. Canavanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received urging further provision to mark the International Year of Disabled People.
§ Mr. FairgrieveI have received letters from four hon. Members about the access sections of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 and a few letters from individuals making specific suggestions as regards possible activities during the Year.
§ Mr. CanavanWill the Minister take this opportunity to repudiate last month's statement by his callous boss, the Prime Minister, to the effect that the disabled ought to do more to help themselves instead of relying on the Tory Government? Instead of clobbering the disabled by, for example, reducing the real value of invalidity benefit, industrial injury benefit and sickness benefit and increasing prescription charges fivefold, will the Minister give us an assurance that he will give increased resources to the health boards and to the local authorities to maintain and improve services for the disabled, including the home help service and specialist housing needs, which are under threat as a result of the reactionary policies of this Government?
§ Mr. FairgrieveI shall not refer to bosses. I have other adjectives than "callous" for the hon. Member's boss.
The Government have been in touch with the Scottish Council on Disability, the Scottish Paraplegic Association, the Scottish Committee on Mobility for the 844 Disabled, the Scottish Committee on Access and the Disablement Income Group. We have given £25,000 for the International Year of Disabled People. We are in touch—
§ Mr. CanavanThat is not even the Prime Minister's salary.
§ Mr. FairgrieveWe are in touch with all the local authorities, and the total commitment in this area is £4.7 million.
§ Mr. SproatWill my hon. Friend draw to the attention of the hon. Member for West Stirlingshire (Mr. Canavan) the splendid example of Grampian regional council, which has managed to keep its domestic rates increase at 11.4 per cent, but has still managed to increase the amount of money given to the disabled and handicapped? Would it not be a good idea if the hon. Member's council behaved in the same way?
§ Mr. CanavanIt does.
§ Mr. FairgrieveMy hon. Friend is right. When we meet—and when the last Administration met—representatives of the disabled, those representatives always ask that party politics be kept out of these matters.
§ Mr. Harry EwingThe Minister said that there was a commitment of £4.7 million in this International Year of Disabled People. Of that £4.7 million, he said that only £25,000 was coming from the Government. Surely that means that the balance will come from local authorities. Does the Minister approve of what the Lothian region is spending on the disabled? Does he understand that we fully support the expenditure of that region? Will he take this opportunity to praise the Lothian region for its record in this area?
§ Mr. FairgrieveThe less said about expenditure by Lothian region the better, but if I were responsible for spending money in that region, not only would I reduce it but I would spend it in different areas.
§ Mr. Gordon WilsonSince the Minister wishes to keep party politics out of the problems of the disabled, will he note that the Bill presented by the hon. Member for Caernarvon (Mr. Wigley) about the problems of the disabled would include Scotland? If that is so, will he assure us here and now that the Scottish Office will give that Bill full backing?
§ Mr. FairgrieveI cannot say this afternoon what our position is on that Bill, which I read yesterday. It was not the Minister but the bodies that look after the disabled that asked for party politics to be kept out of this area.