HC Deb 27 July 1988 vol 138 cc281-2W
Mr. Ashley

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what response he has had from the local task forces and city action teams to the paper written by the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation, RADAR, "Disabled People and The Inner Cities".

Mr. Newton

The city action teams and inner city task forces continue to take account of the needs of the disabled as set out in the recent paper by the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation, "Disabled People and the Inner Cities". In particular, the task forces have supported a range of inner-city projects which specifically benefit the disabled. Projects includeMiddlesbrough: support through task force and community programme for project converting cars for the disabled. Handsworth: support for community glass business to enable it to take on disabled workers. Spitalfields: installation of a lift for the disabled in Toynbee hall, Gunthorpe street workshops to enable disabled people to have access to facilities, including job club. Nottingham: support for 80 place computer training project for the disabled. Coventry: requirement that conversion projects supported by task force should make provision for disabled access. Leeds: disabled care service project, in conjunction with New Testament Church. Rochdale: support for disabled places in woodcraft and needlework training. North Peckham, Southwark: support for 30 place community industry sewing workshop which makes clothes specially tailored for the disabled; support for Southwark environment trust conversion of old stables into workshops, including one made available to the Southwark association for the disabled. Doncaster: support to Concorde centre for development of training places for the disabled; support for residential course for disadvantaged Youth Training Scheme trainees, including disabled.

In addition, the interdepartmental urban programme supports some 200 projects worth about £6.5 million per annum, which directly benefit the disabled.

Mr. Ashley

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will issue a White Paper on how the access needs of disabled people will be met in the revitalisation of the inner cities; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Newton

We have no plans to do so.

Mr. Ashley

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will outline the interdepartmental co-ordination that exists to ensure that access needs for disabled people in the inner cities are not overlooked.

Mr. Newton

The main instruments for interdepartmental co-ordination are the city action teams, which include the regional directors of my Department, the Department of the Environment and the Department of Employment. They are based in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, the inner-city partnership areas of London, Manchester-Salford, Newcastle-Gateshead and Nottingham. Outside city action team areas there are similar but less formal links between Departments. The city action teams are responsible for co-ordinating and focusing major Government programmes in inner city areas, including the urban programme, city grant, the enterprise initiative and employment programmes, working with local authorities, the private sector and other local organisations. These programmes already take account of the needs of the disabled inner-city areas, and the valuable contribution which they can make to inner-city regeneration, and further advice has recently been issued to the city action teams on these lines, drawing on useful background material provided by the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation.