HC Deb 08 December 1977 vol 940 cc855-7W
Mr. George

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the expenditure per 1,000 population on residential care for (a) physically handicapped, (b) adult mentally handicapped and (c) young

Expenditure per 1,000 population
Service Walsall West Midlands metropolitan districts All metropolitan districts London boroughs England and Wales
£ £ £ £ £
Physically handicapped … … 133 215 306 317 280
Adult mentally handicapped … 199 316 394 484 392
Young mentally handicapped … 348 129 158 288 168

Figures are of net expenditure by local authorities including loan charges, but excluding administrative costs which cannot be separately identified for those services.

for the West Midlands, (c) metropolitan districts, (d) England and Wales, and (e) the London boroughs in each year since 1972; and if he will estimate expenditure for the current year.

Mr. Alfred Morris

The figures are as follows:

mentally handicapped in Walsall, the average for the West Midlands county, metropolitan districts, London boroughs and England and Wales, respectively.

Mr. Moyle

Provisional figures for 1976–77, based upon returns submitted by local authorities, are as follows:

Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the operation of the General Working Incapacity Act (AAW) in the Netherlands, he will suggest at the Council of Ministers that the European Commission should undertake a survey of the effects of various forms of specific financial assistance to handicapped people in all member countries; and if he will make a further statement.

Mr. Alfred Morris

There is already a good deal of information published on the social arangements for handicapped people in the EEC. But I will consider my hon. Friend's suggestion.

Mrs. Chalker

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what statistics are collected on individual types of handicap for (a) children, (b) adults under pensionable age, and (c) those over pensionable age.

Mr. Alfred Morris

Information is collected centrally from registers maintained by the social services departments of local authorities for the following categories of handicapped persons.

1. Blind and Partially Sighted subdivided into:

  1. (a) Blind,
  2. (b) Blind with an additional handicap,
  3. (c) Partially sighted.

2. Deaf and Hard of Hearing subdivided into:

  1. (a) Deaf with speech,
  2. (b) Deaf without speech,
  3. (c) Hard of hearing.

3. General Classes subdivided into:

  1. (a) Very severely handicapped,
  2. (b) Severely or appreciably handicapped,
  3. (c) Other classified persons,
  4. (d) Unclassified persons.

(Per cent.)
1966 1970 1972 1973 1974 1975
3.3 4.1 4.4 5.8 6.6 8.1

The figures prior to 1972 are not wholly reliable and the proportions for 1966 and 1970 are indicated to show the trend.