Year of the Disabled (Hansard, 25 July 1990)

§ Mr. David Hunt

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State delivered a speech,a copy of which is in the Library of the House, at a Wales Council for the Disabled event on Friday 20 July 1990, in which he stressed the importance of 1991 as the Year of the Disabled in Wales: a year in which substantial progress is made for people with disabilities and their carers to have ready access to the facilities and opportunities which able-bodied people take for granted. I fully support this objective.

To this end, on 8 May 1990 my Department issued to all health and local authorities and other interests in Wales guidance on good practice in the provision of services for people with physical or sensory disabilities. We will shortly publish details of the targeted grants which will be available in Wales from April 1991 to help provide more flexible forms of domiciliary care.

Help is also available through the new renovation grants regime for disabled people to receive financial support—up to 100 per cent. where appropriate—to help them to live independently in their own homes. For those who need to rent, nearly all the homes provided through Housing for Wales are built to mobility standards and a significant proportion of the annual programme goes to meet specific special needs provision.

We will take every opportunity to reiterate the key messages to all with a part to play, including public bodies, the private sector and the community at large and ensure that they are taken forward as part of the comprehensive programme for the improvement of social and community care as set out in White Paper "Caring for People" and in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones) on 18 July.