§ Mr. Michael Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what sources of information on the various aids for the disabled are available from his Department to private individuals seeking to purchase equipment for their own use, doctors and social workers seeking to provide publicly-funded equipment for their clients' or patients' use, and National Health Service staff wishing to acquire such aids in bulk for use within their area.
§ Mr. NewtonI refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 1 July, at column65, to his general question about sources of information on aids, when I explained that the Department publishes reports on the assessment and evaluation of ranges of equipment which are aimed at relevant professionals, and provides additional advice and information to supplies officers within the National Health Service. I also mentioned the booklet "Aids for the Disabled" (HB2) and exhibitions of aids; the booklet is freely available on request and the Department regularly participates in NAIDEX and is occasionally represented at other exhibitions.
Artificial limb and appliance centres are sources of information on wheelchairs. The Department produces a descriptive catalogue of the wheelchairs in its range and is currently working with therapists to update that catalogue and to produce more information and training materials aimed at therapists and other professionals. The catalogue is distributed to all general practitioners and relevant hospital staff and is available on request to others, though it is not supplied to members of the public. A booklet giving details of the environmental control and typewriter equipment provided by the Department and how it can be ordered has been distributed to all relevant staff in health authorities and local authority social services departments and to other bodies with a particular interest.
Apart from its own activities, the Department has for many years taken every opportunity to encourage dissemination of information by others. In particular, substantial financial support is given to the Disabled Living Foundation, which provides a national service for 952W disabled people, their carers and the professionals who work with them. The foundation's activities include an information service which collects, stores and distributes up-to-date information on the aids available in the United Kingdom and an aids centre which displays aids and arranges individual assessments. The Department also subsidises "Equipment for the Disabled", a series of illustrated books, published by Oxford health authority, which contain information on aids which have been assessed in use with disabled people or subjected to research evaluation.