§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement regarding the statistical information which he is making available which he has received from local authorities concerning the help given by them under Section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act and other powers, in respect of the year ended 31st March 1973.
§ Sir K. JosephThis information, which has been collected for the first time and is provisional, indicates that in the year ending 31st March last local authorities in England provided various kinds of assistance, not including holidays, to an estimated 160,000 households. I am satisfied that the figures show that authorities generally are making good progress in meeting essential needs of handicapped and elderly people. It is, however, not possible to form judgments on the basis of these figures alone about the extent and quality of authorities' total services.