Disabled People (Hansard, 20 March 1989)

§ Mr. Wigley
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the outcome of the meeting between Welsh office Ministers and representatives of disablement organisations in Wales, held on 7 February; and whether he proposed to take any new action as a result of that meeting.

§ Mr. Gareth Wardell
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if following the meeting between his officials and the Spastics Society with the Wales Council for the disabled on 7 February in Cardiff, he now considers there to be the need for an all Wales physical handicap strategy and for additional resources to be made available for services for people with physical disabilities in Wales.

§ Mr. Peter Walker
Representatives of the Wales Council for the Disabled and the Spastics Society in Wales were told that Welsh Office social work services would be undertaking surveys of services for disabled people440W provided by local authorities and voluntary organisations in Wales. The needs of people with physical and sensory disability would also be examined in the next round of health authority strategic planning. The results of those exercises will not be available until next year, but in the meantime further consultations will be held with a number of bodies representing people with disabilities and preliminary guidance for planning purposes will be issued.

§ Mr. Wigley
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing, in current money equivalent terms, the spending by Social Services departments in Wales on services for registered physically handicapped people during 1987–88 and for each of the previous 10 years, together with the number of such people who were beneficiaries of these services in each year and the corresponding average spending per assisted case.

§ Mr. Peter Walker
The information available on spending is given in the table:

Local authority expenditure on physically handicapped¹ at 1985–87 prices

£ million

1976–77 4.5

1977–78 3.3

1978–79 4.3

1979–80 4.0

1980–81 3.8

1981–82 3.6

1982–83 3.5

1983–84 4.2

1984–85 ²

1985–86 3.5

1986–87 3.6

¹ Estimated from outturn information shown in the local authority social services planning statements for Wales. May include some expenditure on the elderly. Excludes day care.

²Not available.

Information relating to the receipt of services provided by Social Services Departments is as follows:

Number of residents under the age of 65 supported by local authorities^{1 2} Cases of assistance provided by social services departments^{3 4}

1977 761 22,110

1978 718 24,997

1979 720 28,707

1980 689 28,418

1981 634 25,293

1982 630 26,720

1983 583 31,290

1984 599 41,659

1985 548 39,312

1986 417 42,423

1987 416 44,310

1988 404 45,285

¹In local authority, private and voluntary homes. Some of these residents may not be physically handicapped.

²As at 31 March.

³Telephone rentals, personal equipment, adaptations to property, holidays etc. Information given relates to cases as opposed to beneficiaries (an individual beneficiary may receive more than one case of assistance). Figures quoted include all age groups and relate to assistance provided to both physically handicapped people and other client groups.

⁴Year ending 31 March.

It is not statistically meaningful to calculate an average spending per assisted case because of the differing natures of the various services provided. These services vary from 441W smaller forms of assistance (such as the provision of personal aids) through to long-term support in residential care.

Local authority expenditure on physically handicapped¹ at 1985–87 prices
	£ million
1976–77	4.5
1977–78	3.3
1978–79	4.3
1979–80	4.0
1980–81	3.8
1981–82	3.6
1982–83	3.5
1983–84	4.2
1984–85	²
1985–86	3.5
1986–87	3.6
¹ Estimated from outturn information shown in the local authority social services planning statements for Wales. May include some expenditure on the elderly. Excludes day care.
²Not available.

	Number of residents under the age of 65 supported by local authorities^{1 2}	Cases of assistance provided by social services departments^{3 4}
1977	761	22,110
1978	718	24,997
1979	720	28,707
1980	689	28,418
1981	634	25,293
1982	630	26,720
1983	583	31,290
1984	599	41,659
1985	548	39,312
1986	417	42,423
1987	416	44,310
1988	404	45,285
¹In local authority, private and voluntary homes. Some of these residents may not be physically handicapped.
²As at 31 March.
³Telephone rentals, personal equipment, adaptations to property, holidays etc. Information given relates to cases as opposed to beneficiaries (an individual beneficiary may receive more than one case of assistance). Figures quoted include all age groups and relate to assistance provided to both physically handicapped people and other client groups.
⁴Year ending 31 March.