Clause 32
2:00 pm
Ann McKechin (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Scotland Office; Glasgow North, Labour)
I welcome the discussion on these amendments. There is a balance to be struck between financial accountability and sustainability, and extending the rights of disabled people as much as possible. The simple answer is that we must ensure that there is no threat to public service provision. Clearly, local authorities have statutory duties as well as duties to their electorate. The right to control is currently untested, and we want to use the trailblazers to find out how to balance both short and long-term considerations, which the hon. Member for Forest of Dean has rightly pointed out. The Office for National Statistics has estimated that for those who have a right to control, perhaps 15 per cent. more are likely to find the ability to go into work, but we need to evaluate the trailblazers over time, so that we can calculate where the long-term savings are. The clause is about affordability and is meant as a backstop to ensure the sustainability of services. It is not intended to be an artificial barrier that can be used without giving due consideration to disabled people’s rights.