HC Deb 03 April 1984 vol 57 cc505-7W
Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will list the number of cases and the rate per 1,000 population in each area board who received assistance with the provision of aids in 1982–83;

(2) if he will list the number of cases and the rate per 1,000 population in each area board who received assistance with adaptations to the home in 1982–83;

(3) if he will list the number of cases and the rate per 1,000 population in each area board who received assistance with the installation of telephones in 1982–83;

(4) if he will list the number of cases and the rate per 1,000 population in each area board who received assistance with the payment of telephone rentals in 1982–83.

Mr. Chris Patten

Figures for 1983 are not yet available, but the information for 1982 is given in the following table.

Assistance given by health and social services boards' social services departments for the year ending 31 December 1982
Type of assistance and health and social services board
Number of cases Rate per 1,000 population*
Provision of Personal Aids†
Eastern 5,247 8.08
Northern 3,006 7.98
Southern 539 1.95
Western 308 1.21
Northern Ireland Total 9,100 5.85
Adaptations to Homes‡
Eastern 1,075 1.66
Northern 681 1.81
Southern 213 0.77
Western 34 0.13
Northern Ireland Total 2,003 1.29
Assistance with Installations of Telephones
Eastern 258 0.40
Northern 148 0.39
Southern 47 0.17
Western 132 0.52
Northern Ireland Total 585 0.38
Assistance with Payments of Telephone Rentals
Eastern 2,029 3.12
Northern 749 1.99
Southern 238 0.86
Western 718 2.82
Northern Ireland Total 3,734 2.40
* Arising from difficulties during the taking of the 1981 census a number of households remained unenumerated. The figure used for total population in each area in the calculation of rate per 1,000 in the above table was the total of the enumerated population plus the estimate of the non-enumerated population.
† The information relates only to personal aids supplied through the social services departments of Health and Social Services Boards. Information about aids provided by boards through the hospital and community nursing services is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
‡ In addition to these adaptations the Northern Ireland Housing Executive carried out 4,845 adaptations to its own dwellings to meet the needs of disabled people and made 245 improvements and intermediate grants for private sector dwellings for a similar purpose.

Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of people and the rate per 1,000 population in each area board who received assistance with holidays in 1982–83.

Mr. Chris Patten

Assistance with holidays is provided in Northern Ireland by both the health and social services boards and the education and library boards. The information for 1982–83 is as follows:

Health and Social Services Board Number Rate per 1,000 population
Eastern 932 1.43
Northern 259 0.68
Southern* 102 0.51
Western 357 1.38
Northern Ireland 1,650 1.11
* Information is not available for Newry and Mourne District.
Education and Library Boards Number Rate per 1,000 population
Belfast 2,534 7.8
North-Eastern 2,954 8.4
South-Eastern 2,600 8.0
Southern 2,022 6.5
Western 1,385 5.4
Northern Ireland 11,495 7.2

In addition, the Department of Education for Northern Ireland assisted approximately 872 persons mainly through a holiday scheme run by Children's Community Holidays, a voluntary organisation which provides holidays for mixed religion groupings. A further 3,046 children were assisted under the Department's children's community relations holiday scheme. As those children are selected from across the Province it is not possible to provide the information on an area board basis.

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