Disabled People (Hansard, 8 July 1992)

§ Mr. McMaster
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his proposals to promote the development of arts for disabled people in Scotland.

§ Sir Hector Monro
My right hon. Friend's responsibilities for the arts exclude the live and performing arts which are the responsibility of the Secretary of State for National Heritage. In relation to museums and galleries, it is for the management of each organisation to consider how its buildings and its collections can be made accessible to disabled people. Such consideration is encouraged by the Scottish Museums Council whose grants to local museums are dependent to a large extent on the provision for disabled people made or planned by the applicants.
The Scottish Film Council has already successfully encouraged the seven regional film theatres which it part-funds to improve access for people with disabilities and is considering how access can be further enhanced.

§ Mr. McMaster
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what new initiatives he proposes to enhance the right of disabled people to have free and adequate access to(a) health services, (b) life-long education, (c) suitably adapted housing, (d) transport, (e) training and employment, (f) arts, leisure, recreation and cultural services and (g) care in the community.

§ Mr. Stewart
The Government's policy is to enable people with disabilities to live as independently as possible, in their own homes and in the community, and to be as mobile as possible, so that they can enjoy to the fullest extent all opportunities in education, employment, leisure and recreation. The following initiatives are currently in prospect:

(i) Amendments are being prepared to the Buildings Standards (Scotland) Regulations 1990 to extend the current requirement of access for disabled people to ground floors, to upper floors of all buildings except dwellings and warehouses.

(ii) Electrically powered wheelchairs, which can be used both indoors and outdoors, will begin to be issued in the autumn to disabled people for whom they are appropriate.

(iii) From 1 April 1993 the duty to secure adequate and efficient further education will transfer from education authorities to the Secretary of State. In exercising that duty he will have regard to the position of people over school age with learning difficulties. Boards of management of further education colleges will be given guidance on the exercise of their responsibilities for students with learning difficulties. Regard will also be had to this in funding the colleges.

§ Mr. McMaster
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which disability organisations he has met in the past 12 months to discuss the provision of services to disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
My right hon. Friend has not met any of the disability organisations formally in 255W the past year, but he did open the Margaret Blackwood housing association development at Uddingston which provides 33 houses and flats, mainly for disabled people. On 20 September, I had the pleasure of opening the Scottish mobility roadshow 1991, which was organised by Disability Scotland. It was the first of its kind in Scotland and the Government contributed £20,000 to its costs.
Scottish Office officials are in regular contact with many of the organisations representing people with disabilities.