§ 19. Mr. Ridsdaleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking further to help the very elderly, particularly those who are living alone.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe needs of the very elderly were fully taken into account in the consultative document on "Priorities for the Health and Personal Social Services in England" published last year which proposes that within available resources high priority be given to services used mainly by the elderly and in particular to the domiciliary services. But public services cannot be expected to meet all the need, and it was for this reason that, last November, I launched the Good Neighbour Campaign urging individual members of the community to play their part in providing the kind of practical help many of the very old people, especially those living alone, need in order to be able to cope with their daily lives.
§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many elderly people living in subnormality and psychiatric hospitals are without any pension rights and are still unable to quality for supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. OrmeI regret that this information is not available. However, those long-stay elderly patients who do not qualify for a retirement pension, a supplementary pension or a non-contributory invalidity pension may receive a personal allowance payment under Section 133 of the Mental Health Act 1959.