HC Deb 27 July 1977 vol 936 c900

4.34 a.m.

Mr. John Farr (Harborough)

I beg leave to present a petition, signed by 1,127 people from Market Harborough in my constituency, in relation to the National Mobility Campaign. These signatures were obtained recently, and the main concern of those who signed this document was that they felt that disabled people should have the choice of either a mobility allowance or a special or adapted car.

The petition reads as follows:

To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in Parliament assembled. Whereby the statement of the Secretary of State for the Social Services on 23rd July 1976 on mobility policy for the disabled causes your humble petitioners great concern in that it removes the assurance of continued independent mobility from those severely disabled persons now driving invalid tricycles, and condemns many new applicants for mobility assistance to be housebound as a result of the inadequate levels of the mobility allowance. Your humble petitioners pray that your honourable House call upon the Secretary of State for the Social Services to promote policies and propose such necessary legislation as will:

  1. (a)Immediately guarantee the rights of comtinued independent mobility to current invalid tricycle drivers when the supply of tricycles is exhausted, in order to allay their great anxiety for the future.
  2. (b)Restore immediately the option of a suitably adapted car or an invalid tricycle to new applicants for mobility assistance, under the powers granted to the Secretary of State for the Social Services by Section 33 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968.
  3. (c)Actively promote steps to design and produce specialised vehicles which will enable an increasing number of severely disabled people to enjoy independent mobility.
  4. (d)Yourself enact the legislation.
And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, etc.

To lie upon the Table.