§ 4. Mr. Ashleyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide for severely disabled people to obtain repayment of their post-war credits.
§ The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Maurice Macmillan)Some people who are 100 per cent. disabled can claim now; I have every sympathy with the intention behind this Questtion but we have no proposals for extending the qualifying categories.
§ Mr. AshleyIs the Minister aware that although the severely disabled have sufficient sympathy, what they need is cash? Is he also aware that I personally believe that people who are 50 per cent. disabled should receive repayment? Therefore, is the Min0ister prepared to meet me halfway and consider giving repayment to those who are 75 per cent. disabled?
§ Mr. MacmillanThe difficulty here is not the degree of disability but the question of drawing a line, I will certainly look into what the hon. Gentleman has suggested. It would be extremely difficult once one relaxed the 100 per cent. requirement to define a line below it.
§ Mr. MartenSince part of this problem is one of definition could not the Government give a definition of what is meant by "severely disabled"?
§ Mr. MacmillanThere is a great problem of definition here, but it extends greatly beyond the whole question of repayment of post-war credits.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisWill the hon. Gentleman look as sympathetically as possible into the suggestiton made by my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley)? Is he aware that some people are much too severely disabled to qualify for disabled persons' vehicles and that they are persons for whom the repayment of post-war credits could be extremely helpful in increasing their mobility?
§ Mr. MacmillanThe hon. Gentleman is introducing a new criterion, which I will certainly look at.