Since coming into office in 1997, I have invested a total of £91.162 million, by way of additional funding, in services for people with disabilities, including £53 million in mental handicap services and £38.162 million in physical and sensory disability services. This demonstrates the Government's serious commitment to developing these services.
The information sought in relation to day care places, respite care places and personal assistants is not available in the form requested by the Deputy. However, information from the national intellectual disability database indicated that, as at September 1996, 7,572 persons with an intellectual disability and autism were in receipt of five or seven day residential services and 14,989 persons were in receipt of day services, of whom 1,875 also received residential support services. A further 243 persons were identified as receiving residential support services only.
However, because of the fact that, for most people, respite services are provided as a secondary service, in addition to their primary service which would be either in educational or day placement, the level of reporting of this secondary service in 1996 did not fully reflect the level of respite services being provided. Data in respect of 1998, which I expect will be available shortly, will more fully reflect the level of respite service for people with an intellectual disability and autism and I will arrange for this information to be forwarded to the Deputy when it becomes available.