HC Deb 15 March 1978 vol 946 cc208-9W
Mr. Prior

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are registered as blind in the whole country and in the Lowestoft constituency; how many in both cases are housewives; and how many are in receipt of a pension other than the housewives non-contributory invalidity pension.

Mr. Alfred Morris

Provisional figures for England, Wales and Northern Ireland show that, at 31st March 1977, 112,935 people were registered as blind. In Scotland, comparable figures have not been collected centrally since 31st March 1974, when there were 10,063 registered blind people.

Statistical information relates to the area of social services authorities and figures are not available for Lowestoft, but the provisional number of registered blind people in Suffolk at 31st March 1977, was 1,151. I regret that the remaining information requested is not collected centrally.