§ Mr. HannamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to begin consultation with local authority associations and voluntary organisations on sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.
§ Mr. FreemanWe are currently examining these sections with a view to identifying those provisions with significant resource implications. We will then seek the assistance of interested bodies to help us to estimate their cost.
§ Mr. HannamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date he expects to publish the first report to Parliament under section 11 of the disabled persons Act 1986, due to be implemented at the end of 1989.
§ Mr. FreemanWithin the next few days.
§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements will be made to publish on an annual basis, the total public sector expenditure on care services for disabled people, covering expenditure incurred by central Government, including social security payments, local authorities, health authorities and other statutory service providers funded from public money.
§ Mr. ScottI have been asked to reply.
Information on public expenditure on care services for disabled people is currently available in a number of publications. The public expenditure White Paper analyses past and present expenditure on social security both by broad client groups and by individual benefits, some of which may be relevant to the provision of care. Expenditure on health and personal social services by broad client group is published in "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics", for example tables 2.8, 2.6 and 2.9, in the key indicators of local authority social services package; and in the local authority profiles. Information is also available from Health Service cost returns and reports of the Social Services Committee, copies of which are available in the Library. The use made by disabled people of general health and social services (for example acute hospital services and home help services) is not separately identified. We have no plans to change the present publication arrangements.