§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many homes have been adapted for disabled tenants throughout Great Britain during the last three financial years.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergAdaptations carried out by housing authorities in England to their own stock for the benefit of disabled tenants in the financial year 1978–79, 1979–80 and the first two quarters of 1980–81 are as follows:
1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 (2 quarters only) 3247 7345 4371 My Department does not collect figures for Wales or Scotland, nor for adaptations by social services authorities.
§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will, to mark the International Year of Disabled People, take the necessary measures to ensure that local authorities increase public expenditure on the provision of adapted accommodation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergIn announcing the Government's decisions on provision for capital investment in 1981–82, I have asked local authorities to concentrate available resources on those in special need, such as the disabled.
Expenditure on adaptations for the benefit of disabled people are exempt from the moratorium on expenditure during the current financial year.
§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will, to mark the International Year of Disabled People, take steps to encourage local authorities to promote integration of disabled people into sporting events and activities; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MonroThe primary objective of the Sports Council, under its Royal Charter, is to promote sport and physical recreation. Through its close links on these matters with local authorities, the council is in the best position to encourage these authorities to promote integration of disabled people into sporting events and activities. This it is doing—with a positive and encouraging response from many authorities—in its recently-mounted campaign under the title of "Sport for All—Disabled People".
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§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will, to mark the International Year of Disabled People, introduce legislation to provide wheelchair access for all public buildings; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 already requires that all new buildings to which the public are admitted shall wherever reasonable and practicable be provided with means of access for disabled people. The International Year for Disabled People should provide an excellent opportunity for increasing awareness and understanding of the needs of the disabled.
§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will, to mark the International Year of Disabled People, increase rate relief for the disabled.
§ Mr. KingThe purpose of the Rating (Disabled Persons) Act 1978 was to relieve people of the burden of extra rates directly due to certain facilities in their dwellings which are essential to them because of their disability. The rate relief afforded by the Act is set in terms of rateable value for these facilities and therefore the scale of relief rises in direct relation to rate poundages. Rating authorities already have the powers to increase the relief for most of the facilities by one fifth if they so wish.
The Act has been in operation for nearly two years and I am satisfied that its object is being achieved.