§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress has been made in implementing section 5 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986, in respect of its obligation to place duties upon education authorities and social services authorities to identify, assess and provide for the needs of people with mental handicaps at the time that they move out of full-time education; and what arrangements have been made to ensure that these facilities are being monitored in respect of their implementation in terms of quality of life.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe attention of local authorities was drawn to their detailed responsibilities under section 5 and 6 of the Act at the time of their implementation and it is upon them that the responsibilities now lie. No central record is held of individual assessments but social work service officials will be conducting a survey of local authority services for disabled people in the coming months.
§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to implement sections 1 and 2 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986; and whether he will meet the cost implications required to appoint authorised representatives for all people with mental handicaps in connection with the provision of services and the right to obtain relevant information to facilitate an informed choice of a selection of appropriate support services.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerAs my ministerial colleagues in the Department of Health have repeatedly said, each section of the Act will be implemented as and when the necessary resources can be identified and made available. We are making good progress on implementation with six key sections now in force. We have agreed with the local authority associations that section 7 is the next priority and detailed work on sections 1, 2 and 3 will follow as soon as possible. Local authorities will be consulted about the potential cost implications at an appropriate time.
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many social workers trained to deal with physically handicapped people are employed by each county council in Wales.
697W
§ Mr. Peter WalkerInformation relating to the number of senior social workers, social workers and community workers with qualifications is given in the following table1
Number Clwyd 134 Dyfed 120 Gwent 175 Gwynedd 72 Mid Glamorgan 201 Powys 25 South Glamorgan 156 West Glamorgan 102 1 Full-time staff only, as at 30 September 1988, with a certificate of qualification in social work of the CCETSW or equivalent, a declaration of recognition of experience, a certificate in social service or a senior certificate in residential care.