HC Deb 22 January 1991 vol 184 cc160-1W
Mr. Tom Clarke

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the current use of the EEC's Handynet system.

Mr. Dorrell

The EC's computerised database of information for disabled people, known as Handynet, is not yet in operation. Preparation for the first module of Handynet, which is concerned with aids and equipment for disabled people and known as Handyaids, was completed in November 1990. The United Kingdom has nominated the Disabled Living Foundation as its co-ordination centre for Handyaids. The foundation will shortly be signing a contract with the EC Commission to enable it to enter its aids and equipment database into the Handyaids system and to gain access to the data provided by co-ordination centres in other member states. It is anticipated that users will then be able to consult the database through the United Kingdom co-ordination centre by the summer of 1991.