§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his estimate of the number of telephones installed in the homes of handicapped and elderly people by area boards in the past 10 years.
§ Mr. AlisonA scheme to assist handicapped and elderly persons with the installation and rental costs of telephones was introduced in Northern Ireland in June 1973. The number of households assisted with installation costs in each year since 1974, which was the first full year of operation of the scheme, is as follows:
Year ended 31 December Number of Households 1974 70 1975 102 1976 125 1977 191 1978 842 The large increase for 1978 is due to the scope of the scheme being extensively widened in June of that year. Figures for 1979 are not yet available.