§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take financial or other steps to ensure the continuance of Clifton Spinney residential training centre for the blind; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinThe Clifton Spinney residential training centre for the blind is run by the Royal National Institute for the Blind. It provides a social rehabilitation service for blind people sponsored by local authorities. I understand from the institute that, since its establishment in 1971, the average annual occupancy at the centre has fluctuated from year to year. It has never exceeded 81 per cent. and, on occasion, it has fallen to about 60 per cent. of the places available. One difficulty is that many of those newly blinded people whom Clifton Spinney is intended to help are very reluctant to leave their own homes and familiar surroundings; they would prefer social rehabilitation locally.
Having considered the results for the year ending 31 March 1979, the institute decided that it could not continue to provide the service at the centre and it would have to be closed next year. The RNIB is hoping to provide some alternative facilities at its vocational training centre at Torquay and at some of its residential homes in other parts of the country.
206WAlthough the institute does receive a grant from my Department towards its production of literature in braille, it has not approached my Department for a subsidy to prevent the closure of the Clifton Spinney centre. The decision on closure is entirely for the institute; suggestions that the closure is due to cutbacks in public spending are largely misplaced.