§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on whether disabled people should have the right to representation in community care services.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyOur draft guidance on assessment and case management instructs local authorities to ensure that their assessment procedures accommodate any communication difficulty due to disability. The National Health Service and Community Care Bill, as amended by the Government in the House of Lords, will allow a person acting on behalf of a disabled person to make representations, including complaints, about the social services that the local authority provides.