asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which authorities are participating with his Department in the extension of the Crossroads Scheme for which the EEC has given a grant of £100,000 for research and house adaptations; and if he will make a further statement.
The EEC is meeting the costs of a three-year research programme into the housing needs of disabled people in the United Kingdom and, as part of the programme, my Department is providing finance to enable Crossroads care attendant schemes to be established in the participating authorities. So far, local authorities in four areas have agreed to take part in the project: the London borough of Islington, North Tyneside Metropolitan District Council, Northamptonshire County Council/Daventry District Council and Essex County Council/Braintree District Council. Discussions are continuing on the possibility of a Scottish authority being involved in the programme. I welcome the enthusiasm and spirit of co-operation of the participating authorities and I am confident that we and our colleagues in the EEC will learn a great deal from the programme.