§ Mr. Loveridgeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, for persons requiring odd-sized shoes owing to a deformity, he will consider supplying such shoes under the National Health Service instead of having normal shoes adapted to the correct sizes as is the practice at the moment ; or make a payment to cover the cost of buying odd-sized normal shoes instead in the case of children whose feet grow faster than the adaptations required can be made.
§ Sir K. JosephNo. I do not think this would be justified. The present arrangements follow the principle that the cost of124W adapting footwear to meet medical requirements falls upon the National Health Service, whilst the purchase of commercially available shoes is met by the wearer. As regards the second part of the Question I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Mansfield (Mr. Concannon) on 5th April.—[Vol. 854, c. 144.]