HC Deb 27 May 1977 vol 932 cc1755-6

11.4 a.m.

Mr. Laurie Pavitt (Brent, South)

With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, I wish to present a petition signed by 558 of my constituents and organised by the Brent Association for the Disabled. The petition reads: 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 continued 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 projects to decision and produce specialised vehicles which will enable an increasing number of severely disabled people to enjoy independent mobility.
  4. (d) Yourselves enact the legislation.
Further, your humble petitioners pray that your honourable House take all necessary steps to promote a total policy on mobility which would ensure that a choice is available to the severely disabled between a mobility allowance set at a level which will enable the purchase and maintenance of appliances that they need, the use of a specialised vehicle or the issue of a suitably adapted car; which policy should be implemented with all possible urgency. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, etc.

To lie upon the Table.

11.6 a.m.

Mrs. Helene Hayman (Welwyn and Hatfield)

With your permission Mr. Speaker, and that of the House I beg leave to present a petition in terms similar to that presented by my hon. Friend the Member for Brent, South (Mr. Pavitt). The widespread concern that there is throughout the country is shown by the petition, which carries signatures from constituencies throughout the nation. The cause of mobility for the disabled is one to which everyone in the House will give their sympathy.

I am pleased to be able to associate myself with this petition. I shall not repeat in full the terms but the theme of choice is the most important aspect. The petition calls on Parliament to take all necessary steps to promote a total policy of mobility which will ensure that a choice is available to severely disabled people between a mobility allowance set at a level which will enable the purchase and maintenance of the appliances they need, the issue of a specialised vehicle or the issue of a suitably adapted car; which policy should be implemented with all possible urgency. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, etc.

To lie upon the Table.

Mr. J. Enoch Powell (Down, South)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is it in order for an hon. Member, when presenting a petition to this House, to add to the presentation personal comments of that Member's own, whether or not they are in themselves innocuous? Hon. Members should surely do no more than rehearse the whole or part of the petition.

Mr. Speaker

The right hon. Gentleman is right to draw my attention and that of the House to the lapse made on this occasion. Hon. Members are required to keep to the terms of the petition.

11.7 a.m.

Mr. Stephen Ross (Isle of Wight)

With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, I wish to present a petition signed by 102 of my constituents in the Isle of Wight. I shall say nothing more than that I associate myself with the remarks of the two previous speakers.

To lie upon the Table.