Disabled Parents (Hansard, 28 February 1997)

§ Mr. Berry
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued, and what funding his Department provides to meet the needs of disabled parents. [18124]

§ Mr. Burns
Social services departments are empowered to provide services for disabled parents as disabled people through a range of welfare legislation, including under section 17(1)(a) of the Children Act 1989. "The Children Act 1989, Guidance and Regulations" volume II, paragraph 2.5 refers to that. Apart from this, the Department of Health has not produced specific guidance on the welfare legislation's application to disabled parents, but believes that the provisions are available to social services departments to use as appropriate, taking account of local and individual circumstances and priorities.
The total resources provided for social services in England will increase by a further 4 per cent. next year to £7.7 billion, 73 per cent. more in real terms than in 1990– 444W 91. It is for local authorities to manage and to decide on the allocation of these substantial resources in accordance with local circumstances and their own priorities.

§ Mr. Berry
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to commission research into the numbers of disabled parents. [18120]

§ Mr. Burns
The Department of Health, through its research and development programme, is funding the research initiative, "Supporting Parents: How to Mobilise Supports to Promote Better Parenting", with a local budget of £2.5 million. One of the funded projects, which will begin work in May 1988, is "Parenting and Disability: The Role of Formal and Informal Supports". This will look fully at the types and amounts of both formal and informal support that is needed to support disabled people in their role as parents.

§ Mr. Berry
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistics he collates on the number of disabled parents(a) nationally and (b) in each local authority. [18125]

§ Mr. Burns
Routine statistics are not collected from local authorities on this topic. However, information on the presence of long-standing illness or disability within households is included in the "Health Survey for England".