HC Deb 22 January 1980 vol 977 cc158-9W
Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many engine-powered tricycles are in the reserve stock; and what is the average intake at the latest date available;

(2) how many engine-powered tricycles have been taken from the reserve stock to be used as replacements during July 1979 and to the last available date.

Mr. Prentice

Some 1,750 three-wheelers are held locally for temporary loan and approximately 1,000 petrol-engined three-wheelers are stored centrally. Although weekly movements into and out of store have averaged, respectively, 20 and 14 over the past six months, only 12 were issued during last July. The vehicles in store will provide an essential source of replacements for several years for existing users who continue to use three-wheelers and to whom an undertaking has been given that they will not become immobilised unless increasing disablement makes this inevitable.

Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many approved repairers of invalid tricycles were on the Government list in July 1976 compared with the same month in 1979.

Mr. Prentice

107 and 97 respectively.