§ 79. Viscountess ASTORasked the Minister of Health whether instructions have been issued to all local advisory blind committees to have among their members one blind person elected as a representative of the blind in the committee's area; and whether, if a local committee fails to comply with these instructions, or, while appointing a blind representative, fails to summon him to meetings of the committee, any steps can be taken by the Minister to enforce his wishes on the local committee?
§ Mr. PARKERIn reply to the first part of the Question, my right hon. Friend gave instructions, on the advice of the Central Advisory Committee, that where ever practicable vacancies occurring in these local committees should be filled by blind persons until at least one-third of the committee (excluding representatives from local authorities) were blind persons, and this proportion has not been reached in nearly all cases.
As regards the latter part of the Question, the final appointment of members rests with my right hon. Friend, and if the hon. Member will furnish him with particulars of any case in which a person so appointed has not been summoned to meetings, he will have this matter looked into and dealt with.