§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State of Social Service (1) what representations he has received from the Disability Alliance with regard to his Department's "Social Security Operational Strategy—A Framework for the Future"; what reply he has sent; and if he will make a statement;
(2) which organisations of and for disabled people have been asked to comment on his Department's working 200W paper "Social Security Operational Strategy—A Framework for the Future"; which have replied: whether any consensus of opinion has emerged from the replies; and whether the proposals will be reviewed in the light of the replies he has received.
§ Mr. RossiThe organisations of and for disabled people who were specifically invited to comment on the working paper were the Disability Alliance, the Disablement Income Group, the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association and the Royal British Legion. Comments have been received from the Disability Alliance and the Disablement Income Group and, in accordance with normal practice, receipt has been officially acknowledged. Both these bodies gave broad support for the "whole person" approach and improvements in the quality of service. They also raised a number of helpful points on issues affecting disabled people. Decisions on the way ahead will be taken in the light of all the comments received.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what assumptions about the present and future numbers, severities of disability and patterns of benefits of disabled people were used in preparing his Department's working paper "Social Security Operational Strategy—A Framework for the Future".
§ Mr. RossiIn preparing the broad estimates in the strategy document, the number of claims for, and beneficiaries of disability benefits for 1979 and 1980—whichever year gave greater figures in each case—were projected to 1990 on the basis of expected demographic changes. Our intention in formulating this framework for the future was to allow flexibility to accommodate future benefit needs and policies.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the proposals in his Department's working paper "Social Security Operational Strategy—A Framework for the Future" were fully implemented, whether data held at North Fylde would be directly accessible to local offices of his Department and unemployment benefit offices.
§ Mr. RossiIt is our intention that relevant information from all social security records should be readily available to authorised staff in local offices. Implementation proposals are not fully developed but it is intended that North Fylde benefits should be accessible in the same way. Strict safeguards to control access and prevent abuse would be built into the system.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether it remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government to introduce a new income scheme for disabled people; whether he is satisfied that the proposals in his Department's working paper "Social Security Operational Strategy—A Framework for the Future" are compatible with such a scheme and would neither restrict it nor delay its introduction; and whether, in costing such a scheme, he will take fully into account any savings to his Department's budget that may be achieved by the proposals in the working paper.
§ Mr. RossiOur aim is to create a coherent system of benefits for disabled people, but progress to that end must depend on the availability of resources. We shall ensure that the social security operational strategy is sufficiently flexible to be able to take account of proposals in this area 201W as they develop. The question of the use to which savings arising from the operational strategy are put cannot be determined at this stage.