HC Deb 18 July 1988 vol 137 cc481-2W
Mr. Alfred Morris

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in the light of the precedent following the 1971 Amelia Harris report, he intends to advise local authorities to use the same format as the current survey by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys to conduct their own surveys of people with disabilities in their areas in compliance with their duties under section 1 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.

Mr. Scott

Local authorities have a clear duty under section 1 of Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 to inform themselves of the number of disabled people in their areas and of their need for services. It is for individual authorities to determine how to fulfil this statutory duty. The reports of the recent series of OPCS surveys on disability are not yet published, and it is premature to speculate on the potential use of the OPCS's methodology at local level.

Mr. Alfred Morris

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services on what dates he received the results of each of the four surveys on disablement conducted by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.

Mr. Scott

At the end of May the complete text of the first OPCS report on the prevalence of disability among adults was received by the Department. Subsequent reports have not yet been completed.