§ 33. Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the ways in which each local authority in Scotland has implemented or is implementing Section 1 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 as required by the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons (Scotland) Act 1972;
(2) if he is satisfied that every local authority in Scotland is fully implementing Section 1 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 as required by Section 1 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons (Scotland) Act 1972; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. William Ross:Local authorities have ascertained or are ascertaining the numbers and needs of chronically sick and disabled persons in their areas (a) by conducting personal or postal surveys; (b) by consolidation of information about disabled persons known to local authority departments or (c) by way of general pub- 406W licity. The following table indicates which of these methods have been or are being adopted by each authority:
Burghs and Method
- Aberdeen a, c.
- Airdrie a, c.
- Arbroath a, b, c.
- Ayr a (deferred meantime).
- Clydebank a, c.
- Coatbridge a.
- Dumbarton a, b, c.
- Dumfries a, b.
- Dundee a.
- Dunfermline b, c.
- East Kilbride b, c.
- Edinburgh a, b, c.
- Falkirk c.
- Glasgow not yet notified.
- Greenock and Port Glasgow a.
- Hamilton a, c.
- Inverness a, b, c.
- Kilmarnock a, b, c.
- Kirkcaldy a, b, c.
- Motherwell and Wishaw a.
- Paisley a, c.
- Perth a, b, c.
- Rutherglen b.
- Stirling a, c.
Counties and Method
- Aberdeen and Kincardine b, c.
- Angus b, c.
- Argyll b, c.
- Ayr a, c.
- Banff a.
- Berwick a, b.
- Bute a.
- Caithness a, c.
- Clackmannan b, c.
- Dumfries b.
- Dunbarton a.
- Fife a.
- Inverness a, b.
- Kirkcudbright c.
- Lanark a.
- Midlothian, East Lothian and Peebles a (deferred meantime).
- Moray and Nairn b, c.
- Orkney a, b, c.
- Perth and Kinross a, b, c.
- Renfrew a, c.
- Ross and Cromarty b, c.
- Roxburgh a.
- Selkirk a, b.
- Stirling a.
- Sutherland a, c.
- West Lothian a.
- Wigtown a, b.
- Zetland a, b.
I consider that most of the existing local authorities are discharging their duty under Section 1 of the Act to the best of their abality within existing manpower and financial constraints. I have no doubt that the regional and island authorities, which will assume responsibility for the social work services on 16th May, will consider whether any further action is required to ascertain the numbers and 407W needs of chronically sick and disabled persons in their areas.