§ Mr. Thompsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give an estimate of the number of disabled persons in Scotland who are currently resident in their own homes.
§ Mr. McElhoneA survey undertaken in 1968–69, the results of which were published in 1971, estimated that there were in Scotland some 274,000 handicapped people aged 16 and over living at home. Although no later estimate is available, there is no reason to suppose that the number has altered markedly. It should be noted, however, that the survey excluded certain groups—for example, the blind, the deaf, the mentally disordered—unless their impairment limited their mobility or their ability to work or care for themselves.