§ 17. Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health what changes, if any, are contemplated in regard to the scheme governing the grant of financial assistance to unemployable blind persons; and what recommendations his Department has made to local authorities for the revision of their present schemes?
§ The MINISTER of HEALTH (Sir Hilton Young)I understand that my Advisory Committee on the Welfare of the Blind is at present considering the model clauses issued by my Department on this subject, and pending their report no changes in these clauses are contemplated. My Department has not made any general recommendation to local authorities for the revision of their present schemes, but the attention of individual authorities is drawn as occasion requires to matters in which revision appears to be desirable.
§ Mr. GROVESCan the right hon. Gentleman say why he called attention to West Ham, which has operated a scheme for 10 years satisfactorily, and why he asked them to revise it?
§ Sir H. YOUNGPerhaps the hon. Gentleman will be good enough to give me notice of the question in order that I may give a satisfactory reply.
§ Mr. GROVESI put down a question last week and got a reply which was not very satisfactory. That is why I put this question down to-day.
§ 18. Mr. GROVESasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that in some municipal workshops for blind persons a large stock of mats, brushes, etc., are on hand because of the inability of blind people to produce such articles at a rate likely to successfully compete with those produced by sighted people; and whether he will circularise various Government Departments to purchase these articles more frequently?
§ Sir H. YOUNGI am aware that some workshops for the blind have a large stock of unsold goods on hand but as regards the relation between costs and selling prices I would refer the hon. Member to the recent report on Marketing by a sub-committee of my Advisory Committee on the Welfare of the Blind (page 50). I understand that some Government Departments are at present purchasing articles made by the blind and I will consider whether I could usefully press for a wider adoption of this practice.