asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will seek to amend the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to provide for a statutory definition of blindness and partial blindness.
No. The Act does not single out all the needs for which services require to be provided but contains general provisions applicable to a wide range of needs. My right hon. Friend is not aware of any specific difficulties having arisen for blind or partially blind persons because their disability is not defined in the Act.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has as to which regions keep a register of the blind and partially sighted; and if he has any proposals to seek to extend the keeping of such registers.
Records of blind and partially sighted persons are kept in each of the local authority regions and islands council areas either by the local authorities themselves, or on their behalf by voluntary organisations. My right hon. Friend sees no case for altering these arrangements meanwhile.