§ Mr. AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representation he has received from the Disability Benefits Consortium in support of a comprehensive disability income scheme; what has been his response; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ScottThe constituent groups within the Disability Benefits Consortium have long advocated such a scheme and we discussed the proposal in "The Way Ahead: Benefits for Disabled People" (Cmd. 917). We concluded576W that an elaborate disability income striving to cover a whole range of specific needs would be much more complicated than existing benefits and produce an unacceptable number of losers. The prime objective must be to provide a system which can get help quickly and effectively to those most in need.