HC Deb 16 April 1985 vol 77 cc122-3
4. Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the procedures and machinery by which he monitors the implementation by social services authorities of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act.

The Minister for Social Security (Mr. Tony Newton)

Prime responsibility for monitoring the implementation of the Act rests with local authorities themselves. They make regular returns, however, to the Department on certain services provided under the Act. The Department obtains further information on levels and standards of provision for disabled people from a number of sources, including research studies and the work of the Department's own social services inspectorate.

Mr. Morris

Is the Minister aware of the increasing concern among local authority leaders, not least the Conservative leader of Hillingdon, that in obeying the law on rates they are being forced to break the law passed by this House to help the disabled and their families? Are the Minister's right hon. Friend and the Secretary of State for the Environment prepared to meet those leaders urgently to discuss their anxieties? Will he say whether it remains Government policy that the disabled on supplementary benefit should not be charged for their home helps?

Mr. Newton

I shall take the three questions separately. I shall certainly draw the attention of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment to the right hon. Gentleman's request. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services will have heard the right hon. Gentleman. On home helps, Ministers have consistently made it clear that they would prefer those on supplementary benefit, whether disabled or otherwise, not to be charged. On resources, it is simply not my view that local authorities which practice proper policies of economy in administration need fail to fulfil their statutory duty, whether to the disabled or to others.

Mr. Boyes

I find that a disappointing and unsatisfactory answer. Does it not show that the Minister has no real understanding of the problems of local authorities in trying to implement the Act, because of rate capping and penalties? Is he not ashamed to be a member of a Government who expect chronically sick and disabled persons to pay a disproportionate price for the Government's monetarist policies? Will not the electors in the forthcoming shire county elections take that into consideration and vote Labour?

Mr. Newton

The hon. Gentleman gave a fairly good clue to the purpose of his question in his last sentence. The Government have consistently made it clear, and I repeat it today, that the needs of the disabled under the Act are something to which we hope local authorities will give proper priority. If they make sensible choices, I have no doubt that they can fulfil their responsibilities under the Act.

Mr. Wigley

Does the Minister accept that no local authority would admit to contravening the Act, but that all our experience shows that the level of service provided under the Act is deteriorating through lack of resources? Does he further accept that there is a need for a permanent register, regularly updated, so that there is an objective measure of those in need and the extent to which that need is being answered?

Mr. Newton

The hon. Gentleman knows that local authorities have a duty to discover the numbers and needs of people in their areas. We have tried from the outset to help them to fulfil that duty, and I have no doubt that most local authorities succeed in fulfilling it. I shall, of course, take note of the hon. Gentleman's suggestion, but, frankly I think that it would lead to a great deal of unnecessary, bureaucratic and wasteful expenditure.