§ Mrs. Irene AdamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are registered(a) blind, (b) deaf or (c) disabled in (i)Scotland, (ii)Strathclyde and (iii)Renfrew district.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythLocal authorities in Scotland are required to inform themselves of the number of chronically sick and disabled people in their areas but are not required to, and in practice do not, keep registers for this purpose. They do, however, receive information on the number of blind persons voluntarily registered either with local societies for blind people or with the local authorities themselves. The number of blind persons so recorded at 31 March 1990 was 6,709 in Strathclyde, and 14,120 in Scotland. I have no information in respect of Renfrew district.
§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the mean salary of disabled adults in Scotland.
§ Mr. Allan Stewart[holding answer 6 June 1991]: There is no information available on the mean salary of disabled adults in Scotland. The survey "Disabled people in the labour market" conducted on behalf of the Employment Service by Social and Community Planning Research Ltd. and published in report "Employment and Handicap" in June 1990 showed that in Great Britain as a whole in 1989 the median earnings of people with disabilities was in the range £150 to £199 per week. The survey cannot provide a reliable estimate for Scotland.