HC Deb 15 March 1990 vol 169 cc364-5W
Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give for each Yorkshire and Humberside health authority the total available patient beds for each year since 1979.

Mr. Freeman

The information requested is given in the table.

Mr. Freeman

Copies are available in the Library.

Mr. Hannam

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, in the light of the findings of the SSI report, "Developing Services for Disabled People", he plans to ring-fence the money allocated for the remaining sections of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.

Mr. Freeman

No money has been allocated for the remaining sections of the Act. In general, we believe that Government support for local authority expenditure is best provided through the revenue support grant, to ensure maximum local accountability.

Mr. Hannam

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, in the light of the findings of the SSI report, "Developing Services for Disabled People", he plans to ring-fence the money for community care services for disabled people under his new arrangements for community care; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman

No. We believe that Government support for community care expenditure, as with other important local authority functions, is best provided through the revenue support grant. This will ensure maximum local accountability and encourage value for money by enabling local authorities to make decisions about community care based on local factors.

Mr. Hannam

To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date he expects to lay a final draft of the report to Parliament under section 11 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 before Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman

The report was laid before Parliament on 21 December 1989.

Mr. Hannam

To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date the first meeting with local authority associations was held to discuss implementation of sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.

Mr. Freeman

The implementation of these sections of the Act was discussed in the course of a meeting with the local authority associations on 4 July 1988, when it was agreed that work on other sections should take priority. Officials have now written to the associations to seek their views on the cost and other implications of these sections, and intend to arrange a further meeting with them to discuss these issues in due course.

Mr. Hannam

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the findings of the SSI monitoring of sections 5 and 6 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986; and what steps he will be taking to publicise its findings.

Mr. Freeman

The social services inspectorate's report "Developing Services for Disabled People", published on 6 February, gave the results of an inspection of all sections of the Act in force, including sections 5 and 6. The findings of a more specific study of the progress of six authorities towards implementation of sections 5 and 6 are due to be published shortly, and copies will be placed in the Library.