§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to ensure a sufficient supply of wheelchair housing for people with disabilities who wish to leave residential care or to set up home on their own; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. TrippierIt is for housing authorities to analyse needs locally and to bid for resources through the housing investment programme system to enable provision to be made—in collaboration with voluntary and private agencies.
My Department will be sponsoring a research project this year to assess what proportion of disabled and elderly people need special accommodation and to examine the most cost-effective methods of provision.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of completions of(a) wheelchair housing and (b) mobility housing by (i) local authorities, (ii) housing associations and (iii) the private sector in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.
§ Mr. TrippierNumbers of new completions of wheelchair and mobility dwellings for local authorities and new towns and for housing associations in 1988 appear in table 1.6(b) of "Housing and Construction Statistics", part 1 No. 36; figures for earlier years appear in table 6.7(b) of "Housing and Construction Statistics 1977–87"; copies of both publications are in the Library. No reliable estimates of private sector completions are available.