A CRISIS meeting between MPs, health authorities, councils and Mencap was led by West Devon Liberal Democrat John Burnett in Exeter last Friday.

Mr Burnett, MP for West Devon and Torridge, called the meeting to hear first hand how services for people with learning disabilities have been cut in recent months.

Mencap claims daytime activities for disabled adults have been cut back drastically with many day centres closing.

Some adults living independently, which Devon Mencap encourages, are finding they cannot cope as support is lacking.

Mencap's Tina Feather, who lives in Chilsworthy, said: 'Many of these moves are budget-driven and can ruin people's lives.

'People of all abilities and disabilities should be given the opportunity to live in a mainstream situation, but they should be given appropriate support to enable them to do so.'

Mr Burnett, president of Tavistock and District Mencap, said he will call a Commons adjournment debate to discuss Social Services funding as a result of the meeting.

He said it was a 'real window of opportunity' to highlight the 'tremendous' pressure on Social Services budgets and influence Government policy.

'We want to see flexibility on how the money is spent. Rural areas like West Devon have special needs and local groups like Tavistock Mencap can define their own priorities,' said Mr Burnett.

'Mencap are frustrated, they feel strongly that their voice isn't being sufficiently heard and heeded in partnership meetings, they feel they are there as tokens rather than part of the partnership.

'We're lucky to have such strong volunteer groups — their voice should be heard and weight given to what they have to say. They know better than central organisations what the priorities should be,' he said.

He paid tribute to Mencap volunteers saving 'huge amounts' of public money through their work and said the meeting was 'tremendous' with valuable input from all parties.

At the meeting, Keith Portlock, chairman of Devon Mencap and deputy chief constable of Devon and Cornwall, questioned whether the Government's Learning Disability Strategy White Paper would address 'inconsistencies and lack of services' affecting people with learning disabilities.

'Advocacy and person-centred planning are key themes to the Government's strategy but are far from reality in Devon,' he said.

Mr Portlock said Mencap contacted members to get their views before last Friday's meeting.

He said: 'The feedback we got confirmed our information that services had deteriorated in Devon. Many families who care for their son or daughter 24-hours a day get absolutely no help or break at all.

'Many of these dedicated parents are elderly themselves and their loved ones approaching middle age.

'The Learning Disability Strategy must have the funds to end these cuts and allow Devon to make progress in supporting its citizens.'

Arthur Bailey, chairman of Tavistock and District Mencap, said he was pleased Mr Burnett had taken this initiative.

Mr Bailey said: 'The Government needs to listen to people with a learning disability and their carers.'

He said many people in the Tavistock area have had time and activities at the Molly Owen Centre cut.

Parents also receive less support in looking after both young and older people with learning disabilities, said Mr Bailey.