§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services further to his reply to the hon. Member for Stoke on Trent, South, Official Report, 26th July, columns 117–18, concerning the implementation of Section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, whether he will make a further statement on the statistics on holidays in Part 2(a) (Progress on Section 2 services) and in particular whether they apply to individuals or households.
§ Mr. Alfred Morris:The statistics on holidays in Section 2(a) of the tables (Progress on Section 2 services) relate to individuals. I apologise for the error.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what attention he has paid to the full implementation of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act in his recent further consideration of Health and Social Services; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Alfred Morris:My Department's recently published document on priorities in the Health and Social Services ("The Way Forward") reminds local authorities of the importance of the need to pay particular attention to the requirements of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, notably Section 2. The document points out that it is the application of these requirements that should determine the level of expenditure on aids, adaptations, telephones or holidays, and that these services can make a crucial difference to whether a disabled person can reside at home rather than in an institution.