Mr. Jacksonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to the Secretary of State's answer to the hon. Member for Exeter on 30 June, Official Report, c. 137–8, if he will now indicate (a) whether the social fund advisory committee agreed to fund the projects within the district network on the social integration of disabled people in Lambeth and in Berkshire, (b) the sums involved, (c) who are the promoters and what are the precise locations of the projects, (d) what is the duration of the projects, (e) how many people are involved and (f) what is the type of skill training that will be taught.
§ Mr. NewtonAt its meeting on 18 July the social fund advisory committee recommended acceptance of proposals put forward for district projects on disability in Lambeth and Berkshire to form part of the European network of district projects under the EC's programme on the social integration of disabled people. In October the European commission issued its decision accepting that recommendation. The projects are promoted by the London borough of Lambeth's directorate of social services and by Berkshire county council.
The projects are expected to last for four years, but the Commission's decision covers the first three years. The social fund has allocated £420,601 for the Lambeth project over that period, and £108,137 for that in Berkshire. This represents 50 per cent. of the estimated total cost to 30 September 1986. The matching 50 per cent. is to be found by the projects themselves. In Lambeth's case that includes a grant of £263,491 from the Manpower Services Commission towards a work introduction centre which forms part of its project.
The common aim of the network of projects is to see how an innovative approach to the co-ordination of a range of services in a locality might promote the social and economic integration of disabled people. The United Kingdom projects should therefore have an impact on the lives of a great many disabled people in the areas they cover—the whole of the borough of Lambeth and three district council areas in the western part of Berkshire. All the projects in the European Community network are essentially experimental in nature, and the experience gained from them could be of wider application. The projects are also to contain a core training activity in the employment field. According to the project applications, this will involve 96 people in Lambeth and 54 in Berkshire during the grant period. In Lambeth, the core training activity will be based at its work introduction centre and the skills taught will vary according to individual assessed 183W needs. In Berkshire, the activity will be based at the information technology centre in Reading and skill training will concentrate on introduction to, and use of, computer technology.
The Government welcome the European Commission's decision, and will take a close interest in the district projects—particularly the lessons to be learnt from them for the United Kingdom. To that end the Department has decided to set up a small national steering group with representation from health and local authorities, the voluntary sector, interested Government Departments, the two United Kingdom projects and their evaluator.