§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the current level of housing provision for disabled people; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungThe Government encourage an adequate level of housing provision for disabled people, both by new construction and by adaptation of existing properties.
I refer the right hon. Member to my reply given today to his further question, in which I have set out the considerable progress made in this regard since the Government took office.
§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in improving housing provision for disabled people since the statement made by the Minister for Housing and Construction on 14 March 1979, Official Report, c. 220.
§ Sir George YoungAlthough it is for local authorities to determine their own priorities for housing investment, the Government continue to urge them to concentrate resources on those in special need, including disabled people.
Information on the provision of wheelchair and mobility dwellings for disabled people in each year from and including 1979–80 was contained in a reply given to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 31 October 1983. — [Vol. 47, c. 265–66.]
Information on the number of adaptations earned out by local authorities to dwellings owned by them and occupied by disabled people is contained in published tables in "Housing and Construction Statistics", copies of which are in the Library. The numbers of such adaptations carried out in 1982–83 was nearly twice the number in 1979–80.
Grants by local authorities for adaptations to private sector dwellings occupied by disabled people—detailed information on which is available from the same source — were in 1982–83 nearly four times the number of grants made in 1979–80. My Department played an active part in responding to the International Year of Disabled People, 1981. Details of specific measures taken in connection with the year were given in replies to the hon. Members for Wythenshawe and Caernarvon (Mr. Wigley) on 19 January 1981—[Vol. 997, c. 61–62]—and to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Sir D. Price) on 18 January 1982.—[Vol. 35, c. 120.]
On 15 December 1982 my hon. Friend announced the publication of a major report — "Organising House Adaptation for Disabled People", which contained the valuable lessons resulting from a survey of the practice of a sample of local authorities in implementing the arrangements advocated in DOE Circular 50/78 —[Vol. 34, c. 175.]
On 8 July 1983—Vol. 45, c. 200]—I announced the publication of the report "Housing for Mentally Ill and Mentally Handicapped People", which gave for the first time a profile of the amount and type of housing accommodation currently provided by local authorities, housing associations and voluntary organisations throughout the country for people with these disabilities.