§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services at what date persons currently aged between 50 and 65 years will be considered for mobility allowance; and what is the situation of these persons currently under 65 years, but who may have attained that age be-before consideration can be given to their application for mobility allowance.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisPeople aged 15 to 50, inclusive, are already eligible for consideration for mobility allowance. I cannot yet announce an extension of this coverage, but, for the remaining eligible age groups, the broad order of priority804W will be, first, those aged 5 to 14 and then those aged 51 to pension age—60 for a woman, 65 for a man. We shall hope to extend coverage in stages to people within these age groups so as to complete the process within about three years from January 1976. The precise phasing will need to take account of the numbers claiming in earlier groups. Entitlement to mobility allowance ceases at pension age; thus people will be able to qualify only if they are still under minimum pension age when their age group becomes eligible.