Disabled People: Independent Living

Lord Ashley of Stoke Excerpts

Tuesday 22nd June 2010 Lords Chamber

Asked By

[Lord Ashley of Stoke]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have proposals for independent living for disabled people.

[Baroness Northover]

My Lords, we are committed to supporting people with disabilities to live as independently as possible. This Government intend to ensure that disabled people get the care they need, while assisting them to have control over their lives, with support tailored to their personal needs.

[Lord Ashley of Stoke]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that response. It certainly seems to be promising. Is she aware that some will take a very dim view of any increased expenditure on disabled people—especially now—and say that the time is not right for giving more money to them? However, in view of recent announcements by Ministers on cuts, is she aware that this is precisely the time when we should be protecting and carefully guarding our most vulnerable people by providing them with the means of independent living?

[Baroness Northover]

I thank the noble Lord for his comments and pay tribute to him for his tireless work on behalf of disabled people. He kept the previous Government up to the mark and I am sure that he will do the same for us. We will listen hard to what he says. I am encouraged by his comments, and he might note that the Budget emphasised that the poorest and most vulnerable in the current financial crisis must be looked after first: that must be our priority as we seek to tackle the difficult financial situation. That came through overwhelmingly in the Budget that we have just heard.