§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing the average income of disabled persons as a proportion of general average income for each year since 1975.
§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what further plans he has to reduce poverty among disabled people;
(2) if he has any plans to introduce a comprehensive national disability income; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ScottWe shall use the data obtained from the surveys of disability undertaken by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys to help judge how the substantial existing resources are targeted and to see whether there are better ways of providing help to those who need it most.
§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to implement any of the recommendations of the committee on restrictions against disabled people report; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ScottThe Government have implemented a number of the committee's recommendations. Its report identified lack of access as a major concern, and recommended the establishment of an access committee for England, which was done in 1984. We are also making staged amendments to the building regulations to ensure that the needs of disabled people are taken into account.
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§ Mr. WareingTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what funds he has allocated during each of the past five years for the specific purpose of combating discrimination against disabled people.
§ Mr. ScottWe have not allocated funds explicitly for this purpose. We believe that the best approach in the interests of disabled people is to take practical measures to encourage their integration into society. A key example is the substantial financial support we have given since 1984 to the access committee for England, which aims to achieve an accessible environment for people with all types of disability.