§ 27. Mr. Collinsasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if, under the Local Government Act, 1933, he is prepared to approve expenditure by local authorities on the provision of talking books for the blind in the same way that they provide specialist books for students and discussion groups.
§ Mr. BevinsSanction under this Act is not avaliable for continuing expenditure.
§ Mr. CollinsIs the Minister aware that my Question refers not to talking book recordings but to talking books, which are synonymous with talking book machines; the book cannot talk without the machine. This comes under the 1933 Act. It is not a welfare matter; it is a library matter. Will he not, therefore, look at it again to see whether local authorities can be allowed, under the Act, to provide this general service for the blind who cannot read Braille.
§ Mr. BevinsI assure the hon. Gentleman that I have been into this most carefully, and my present advice is that this is a matter for the welfare authority; but I am most anxious to help, and I will very gladly discuss it with him.