§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will seek to add to the agenda of the next meeting of the Council of Ministers of the European Community the need to increase Community provision in support of the International Year of Disabled People.
§ Sir Ian GilmourThe Government fully support the principles of the International Year of Disabled People. 279W Community support for the disabled is given by means of social fund provisions which help to finance schemes to rehabilitate, train or retrain disabled people. In 1980 over 77 million ECU (£41.4 million) were spent by the European Community on these schemes. In discussions of the 1981 Community budget we supported proposals for social fund provision for the handicapped to be increased to 90 million ECU (£48.6 million). In these circumstances Her Majesty's Government do not propose to seek to add to the agenda of the Council of Ministers the item suggested by the hon. Member.