Disability (Hansard, 18 April 1990)

§ Mr. Pendry
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants would qualify for the severe disability premium if it were to be awarded to people receiving attendance allowance and who do not have a carer who receives invalid care allowances for looking after them.

§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard
Information on which to base such an estimate is not available.

§ Mr. Sims
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make available to the House the report of the Minister with responsibility for the disabled on the groups he met and the projects he visited during his visit in 1989 to the United States of America.
889W

§ Mr. Scott
The purpose of my visit to the United States of America between 29 July 1989 and 3 August 1989 was to look at ways in which the Federal Government, state governments, welfare organisations and major employers were working to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities through education, health and employment programmes. I regret that a formal report of the visit is not available.
Following meetings in New York, Washington, Baltimore and San Fransisco, my trip culminated in a visit to the California relay system (CRS) in Los Angeles. The CRS provides an unlimited access service which enables people with a hearing impairment to communicate via the telephone network with a hearing person, and is therefore operating on a similar way to the telephone exchange for the deaf operated by the Royal National Institute for the Deaf in London and Glasgow. Both the British and Californian systems provide a valuable service for people with a severe hearing impairment.

§ Mr. Alfred Morris
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what response he has received to "The Way Ahead: Benefits for Disabled People" from the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Scott
The association has submitted a detailed written response, and it was represented at a meeting I held on 5 April with the Disability Benefits Consortium to discuss "The Way Ahead." We shall give careful consideration to all the association's comments in carrying forward the detailed work on our proposals.