Disabled Persons (Independent Living) Bill [HL]

My Lords, it is my pleasure to pay tribute to the noble Lord, Lord Ashley of Stoke. He has worked tirelessly over the years in your Lordships' House and another place, campaigning on behalf of disabled people, and he has chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Disability Group for many years. I am pleased that he has so many supporters today. This is the third time that the noble Lord has introduced in your Lordships' House this Bill on independent living for disabled people. The Bill illustrates just how complicated and varied disability is. It may be difficult for the Bill to be successful at this time, but the noble Lord deserves a medal for perseverance. I thank him for raising yet again some of the needs of disabled people. There are many disabilities therefore there are many needs. Disability comes into so much of our legislation and it is important that it does not get left out. Only yesterday, when the Mayor of London announced that people ought to cross the road more quickly, I wondered whether he had thought about disabled people. So many people cannot race across roads when they are elderly or disabled, or elderly with a disability. This is one aspect of independent living. At the Millbank crossing near Parliament I can only just get halfway across the road before the green man starts flashing. My electric wheelchair only goes at four miles per hour. I hope that elderly and disabled people will be taken into consideration. Many people have been greatly shocked by the horrific treatment of children such as Baby P by local authority children’s protection agencies. The Disabled Persons (Independent Living) Bill has much in it about assessments. With disability being so varied and complex, does the Minister think that the staff from social services departments and other staff who have responsibility for assessing disabled people have enough training and experience to make accurate assessments? I feel that the equipment and other needs of disabled people may be a postcode lottery. Some equipment may come under health and some under social services. These departments should co-operate to achieve the best quality outcome. Disabled people have to be proactive if they are to manage to find their way through the maze of red tape. Some people do not have the drive, energy and ability to do this. Yesterday, at a meeting of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, I met a charming man with MND. He had been told by someone from the Wheelchair Service that, as he had MND, it might not be worth getting a wheelchair for him. How demoralising and shocking that a trained member of staff had such an appalling attitude. He told me that he had bought himself a suitable wheelchair. The Wheelchair Service is known as a Cinderella service. There is great need for improvement. I was pleased that the Members of Parliament present were also shocked to hear this. I was the only Member of your Lordships' House at that meeting. To relieve breathing problems at night for sufferers of MND, which is often a serious problem, a non-invasive oxygen pump can be of immense help and can extend life. This need has been pointed out to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, but its assessments of equipment can be very slow indeed. This is a simple, cheap way of improving life. I am convinced that there should be a fast-track system to obtain the equipment for those who suffer from motor neurone disease. The MND Association has written to the noble Lord, Lord Darzi of Denham, about this but has had no reply. I expect that the letter is sitting on a civil servant’s desk. I should be very grateful if the noble Baroness, Lady Thornton, will look into this, as the noble Lord, Lord Darzi, is passionate about his report, High Quality Care for All. To achieve high-quality care for people with MND, one needs a fast track, with understanding, high-quality staff who know what needs to be provided without delay. I hope that the Minister will urgently look into this. I wonder how effective members of the Neurological Alliance consider the National Service Framework for Long-Term Conditions is. As some of the needs are so complex, there should be guidelines for staff and members who may need more awareness of how to make life better for many disabled people. One of the clauses in the Bill covers discharge from hospital. This is a very important aspect. I declare an interest as president of the Spinal Injuries Association. Many people with severe injuries have to stay many extra months in much needed hospital beds, costing the NHS a lot of money, as they do not have a suitable home to go to. At the spinal injury unit at Oswestry, a good system of houses is provided by Trans House, so that people can be discharged and stay, with help, waiting for their houses to be made ready for them, thus not blocking beds. This is a halfway-house system but it needs the co-operation of people working together in health, housing and social services. This housing in Oswestry is only a drop in the ocean. To make independent living better for disabled people, there should be communication and co-operation between statutory and voluntary organisations and service users’ needs should be listened to. The existing legislation should be made to work better and disability ought to be put higher on the priority lists of PCTs and local authorities. I hope that Members of Parliament will support disabled people.