§ Mr. Allan Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what recommendations are being considered by his Department about the issue of national insurance identity cards;
(2) what proposals have been made by Sir Derek Rayner for his Department to issue plastic identification cards to every member of the population; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe sole purpose of the national insurance number card, which is issued automatically to
Numbers on the Handicapped Registers by Degree of Handicap and aged under 65 England 31 March year ending Very severely handicapped Severely or appreciably handicapped Other classified persons Unclassified 1974–75 6,831 22,867 27,115 174,787 1975–76 16,850 60,566 55,729 123,327 1976–77 21,677 84,329 76,895 92,502 1977–78 24,047 100,183 89,117 86,461 1978–79 25,505 112,699 96,032 74,923
Wales 31 March year ending Very severely handicapped Severely or appreciably handicapped Other classified persons Unclassified 1974–75 693 1,684 765 9,908 1975–76 1,104 3,713 1,833 7,556 1976–77 1,281 4,459 2,409 9,070 1977–78 1,419 5,503 3,093 8,183 1978–79 2,076 8,561 5,995 6,059 1979–80 2,181 9,410 6,046 6,724