This is the text of the Deafblind Persons Bill [H.L.],
as amended in Committee in the House of Lords and printed on 14th April
2000.
[AS AMENDED IN COMMITTEE]
TO
Make provision for the welfare, care and assistance of deafblind persons.
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the
advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in
this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as
follows:-
Welfare arrangements for deafblind persons.
1. In section 29 of the National Assistance Act 1948, after "persons
aged eighteen or over who are" insert "deafblind,".
Register of deafblind persons.
2. After section 1(1) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act
1970 insert-
"(1A) It shall be the duty of every local authority to inform themselves
of the location of deafblind persons within their area and to keep a separate
register of such persons."
Assessment of needs.
3. - (1) Where an authority makes an assessment of health and social
needs under-
(a) the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation)
Act 1986,
(b) the Children Act 1989,
(c) the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990, or
(d) any other enactment relating to the assessment of health and social
needs,
the authority shall also (without prejudice to any assessment of other
needs) assess and specify the need for deafblind link services.
(2) Where any assessment is made under subsection (1) the authority
shall forthwith in consultation with the deafblind person make or cause
to be made arrangements necessary to provide the deafblind link services
specified in the assessment.
Provision of services for deafblind persons.
4. In section 2(1) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act
1970, after paragraph (h) insert-
"(i) the provision for that person of deafblind link services,".
Interpretation.
5. In this Act-
"deafblind" means a severe degree of combined visual and hearing impairment
which results in problems with communication, access to information and
mobility,
"deafblind link service" means the provision for deafblind persons of one-to-one support workers of a description prescribed by regulations who enable a deafblind person to communicate with other people, to access information and to travel and move about in different locations, and
"regulations" means regulations made by the Secretary of State and contained
in a statutory instrument which shall be laid before each House of Parliament
and subject to annulment pursuant to a resolution of either House, and
any reference to a deafblind person or a deafblind link service contained
in any enactment shall be construed accordingly.
Short title, commencement and extent.
6. - (1) This Act may be cited as the Deafblind Persons Act 2000.
(2) Sections 1 to 5 of this Act shall come into force at the end of
a period of three months beginning on the day on which this Act is passed.
(3) This Act extends to England and Wales only.
Parliamentary copyright 2000 Prepared 17 April 2000