Mr. J. Enoch Powellasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the average intervals between (a) the application of the appropriate National Health Service worker for a walking aid for a patient and the approval of such application and (b) between the approval and the supply of the aid; and to what extent these periods have increased in the last two years or similar convenient period.
§ Mr. Chris Patten:The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. If, however, the right hon. Gentleman is aware of any specific problems in this field, perhaps he will let me have details which I shall have investigated.