HC Deb 24 June 1992 vol 210 cc254-5W
Mr. Barry Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what studies the Forestry Commission has undertaken of the insect life supported by different species of trees.

Sir Hector Monro

The Forestry Commission has an active research programme into the ecology and conservation of forest insects. This includes a number of studies of the insect life supported by different species of tree. Several other institutes in Britain also conduct research on tree insects.

Registered blind and partially sighted people who are also deaf Figures as at 31 March 1991 (provisional)
Table 1
Those aged under 65
Blind Partially sighted
Region Male Female Total Male Female Total
Borders 0 1 1 0 0 0
Central 8 6 14 2 1 3
Dumfries and Galloway 0 0 0 0 0 0
Fife 1 1 2 2 1 3
Grampian 3 4 7 3 4 7
Highland 4 1 5 3 1 4
Lothian 2 3 5 3 0 3
Strathclyde 13 11 24 3 7 10
Tayside 1 6 7 1 1 2
Orkney 0 0 0 0 0 0
Shetland 0 0 0 0 0 0
Western Isles 0 0 0 0 0 0
Scotland 32 33 65 17 15 32
Table 2
Those aged 65 and over
Blind Partially sighted
Region Male Female Total Male Female Total
Borders 0 1 1 0 0 0
Central 19 31 50 9 5 14
Dumfries and Galloway 0 3 3 0 0 0
Fife 7 11 18 5 9 14
Grampian 40 57 97 13 31 44
Highland 17 22 39 5 6 11
Lothian 4 21 25 0 5 5
Strathclyde 79 152 231 16 41 57
Tayside 19 33 52 6 15 21
Orkney 1 1 2 1 0 1
Shetland 0 0 0 0 0 0
Western Isles 2 2 4 1 3 4
Scotland 188 334 522 56 115 171

Mr. Galbraith

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what facilities are available for deaf-blind people; if he will make additional funds available to develop services for them; and if he will make a statement.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

Government policy is that deaf-blind people should be encouraged to reach their full potential in the community, and where care is required it should be provided in their own homes wherever possible.

The provision of facilities for deaf-blind people at local level is a matter for the local authorities and, in relation to health care, for the health boards. Decisions on the nature and extent of assistance to be provided are for the authorities themselves, having regard to the resources available to them. Since coming to office in 1979 the Government have increased expenditure provision for social work in real terms by 88 per cent.