§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of criticism of the report, Research and Development Work on Equipment for the Disabled, produced as a result of Section 22 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, he will take steps to ensure that future issues of this report are com- 488W prehensive; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonSo far as I am aware, the two reports presented so far have been well received by people interested in equipment aids for the disabled. The reports are comprehensive in that they cover work being carried out by or on behalf of any Minister of the Crown as required by the terms of Section 22 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will expand future issues of the annual report on Research and Development Work on Equipment for the Disabled so as to promote co-operation and the avoidance of duplication of effort by research workers.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will improve the provision of information in the Report on Research and Development Work on Equipment for the Disabled, so as to assist research workers, and disabled persons and their representatives;
(2) if he will ensure that future issues of the Report on Research and Development Work on Equipment for the Disabled will contain the names and addresses of individual researchers in charge of the research and development work reported so as to reduce the possibility of work being duplicated.
§ Mr. AlisonMost of the work in this field sponsored by Government is funded through my Department and the communication network already allows for the interchange of information. Many researchers are also in contact with similar workers overseas and, so far as commercial constraints permit, manufacturers Provide information about their own developments. Such collaboration is encouraged and, when desirable, clinical and engineering assistance is provided.
Precise duplication of effort seldom if ever occurs, but researchers privately engaged on work for the disabled are at liberty to approach my Department for views about the value of their work in relation to work going on elsewhere.
The report is designed to cover investigations which are proceeding, but these 489W will not necessarily result in the marketing of new items of equipment. Even successful research is often long-term and new devices must be thoroughly tried and tested before being made generally available. The value of the report to the disabled themselves and their representatives is to indicate what researchers are striving to achieve rather than to point to equipment which is or will be available.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will have included in future issues of the Report on Research and Development Work on Equipment for the Disabled information on work not specifically for the disabled, but the result of which is likely to benefit such people.
§ Mr. AlisonIt is not possible to predict the practicability of harnessing research spin-off in other areas for the benefit of disabled people until its application in this context has been considered. When, following indications of potential benefit for disabled people, Ministers pursue research to this end, it will feature in the report.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the article, Co-operating to Improve Aids for Disabled, published in "Social Services" on 6th January 1973, a copy of which is in his possession, which stated that a central register of research and development in the medical engineering field would be of value to all concerned with a view to minimising duplication of effort, he will take appropriate action.
§ Mr. AlisonMy Department has a coordinating role in the medical engineering field, recognises the need to discourage unprofitable duplication, as distinct from complementary extension of research and development activity and welcomes approaches from researchers accordingly. It is, however, not considered desirable to stultify initiatives when the special interests and enthusiasms of individuals prompts them to examine a particular subject even though work in a similar field is in progress elsewhere. Research and development work is sponsored by the Department only to the extent that it is hoped to supplement existing knowledge.
490WResearchers usually publish successful results, and the object of information services such as the Medical Research Council's project FAIR, which is mentioned in the article, is to give details of such publications.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider increasing the resources, both in finance and staff, made available for producing issues of the reports on Research and Development Work on Equipment for the Disabled.
§ Mr. AlisonFunds and staff resources for the production of future reports will continue to be made available in whatever degree may be necessary.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider the publication of the report of the group set up to review services, problems and needs and to identify research gaps in the field of aids, appliances and equipment for disabled people; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what gaps were found by the group established to review services, problems and needs and to identify research gaps in the field of aids, appliances and equipment for disabled people, referred to in paragraph 6 of the 1970 Report on Research and Development Work on Equipment for the Disabled and in paragraph 4 of the 1971 issue;
(2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the group established to review services, problems and needs and to identify research gaps in the field of aids, appliances and equipment for disabled people; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonThe report of this departmental fact-finding group is an internal document, and is not in a form suitable for publication. The gaps identified included the lack of suitable aids to meet the full range of needs of disabled people; inadequate information about what is available; uncertainty about the boundaries of responsibility of different authorities for the provision of aids; insufficient financial resources; and, most serious of all, insufficient staff trained and experienced in the assessment for, and the 491W use of, aids. As my right hon. Friend indicated in his reply on 9th August last to my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten), these raise very wide implications for policy and action which my right hon. Friend is now considering and on which he hopes to be able to announce progress from time to time.—[Vol. 842, c. 517.]
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the individuals and organisations consulted in connection with the work of the group established to review services, problems and needs and to identify research gaps in the field of aids, appliances and equipment for disabled persons.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate the number of individuals and organisations in the following categories: (a) hospital consultants, (b) general practitioners (c) members of the remedial professions, (d) nurses, (e) social workers, (f) users of aid and their families, (g) technologists and engineers, and (h) others, consulted by the group referred to in paragraph 6 of the 1970 report on Research and Development Work on Equipment for the Disabled and in paragraph 4 of the 1971 report.
§ Mr. AlisonIn the course of their inquiries, members of the group either collectively or individually consulted informally a large number of bodies and persons, but comprehensive information of the kind requested is not available.