§ Mr. Clemitsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of total payments of unemployment benefit, sickness benefit and supplementary benefit, respectively, in the last year for which statistics are available, were paid to persons aged 60 to 64 years inclusive.
§ Mr. DeakinsThe information, which relates to benefit in payment on specific dates, is as follows:
the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, the National Association for Deaf-Blind and Rubella Handicapped and the Deaf-Blind Helpers' League. As I stated in my replies to the hon. Member for Essex, South East on 23rd December 1976—[Vol. 923, c. 327–30]— I am in close contact with these four organisations on the matter. My Department have now held the meeting with them to which I referred in my replies of 23rd December, and I am happy to be able to say that the organisations have put forward constructive proposals for an experimental residential unit at Bath and for a short-term care unit at Peterborough. My Department will be keeping in close touch with them, with a view to the development of these proposals, and will give sympathetic consideration to providing assistance with the capital costs involved. The specialist services needed will require co-ordination. I intend therefore, to invite 41W local authority representatives to take part in the further discussions which my Department will be holding on the proposals.