HC Deb 07 July 1980 vol 988 cc63-4W
Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in his view, the decision of the London borough of Redbridge, council to charge recipients of supplementary benefit, for their home helps amounts, in effect, to a withdrawal of the service from disabled people who have now had to cancel their home helps on the ground of their in-

Official Report, 11 June, column 217, he will separate the columns into one and two-parent families; and the number of children in one and two-parent families.

Mrs. Chalker

The information is in the table below:

ability to pay for them; and if he will take action, in view of the legal advice he has received about the withdrawal of services from disabled people where there is no diminution in need and, in particular, if he will urgently consider using his default powers in this case; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Prentice

No, I do not take that view. As I explained in my reply to the right hon. Gentleman on 26 June—[Vol. 987, c.277]—local authorities have discretionary power to recover such charges, if any, as they consider reasonable, having regard to the means of the recipients of home help services.