§ Mr. Heddleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will list each of the local authorities in England and Wales which recognise, for the purposes of the implementation of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, deafness as a disablement as opposed to a handicap.
§ Mr. RossiThe Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 imposes a duty on every local authority in England and Wales having functions under section 29 of the National Assistance Act 1948 to inform itself of the 113W number of persons within its area to whom that section applies, including persons who are deaf, and, where appropriate, to make arrangements for the provision of services for such persons.
Deafness is a disability which may or may not be a handicap depending on the severity and nature of the hearing loss and its effect on the life of the individual. I am not aware of any local authority which draws a distinction between disability and handicap in a way which precludes them from providing services for deaf people.