§ Mr. ThurnhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the basis of his Department's own compliance cost assessment for the provision of powered wheelchairs; and what recent revision has been made to this assessment; [12076]
596W(2) what assessment he has made of the report of the Batteries Not Included Consortium on the provision of powered wheelchairs, a copy of which has been sent to him. [12487]
§ Mr. HayesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what consultations he has had with user groups concerning the funding of indoor-outdoor powered wheelchairs in the United Kingdom; [14596]
(2) what progress has been made in implementing the central recommendations of the 1986 McColl report; [14597]
(3) what assessment has been made of the benefit to disabled people of indoor-outdoor powered wheelchairs; [14598]
(4) what consultations or correspondence his Department has had with health authorities concerning the funding of indoor-outdoor powered wheelchairs; [14599]
(5) what plans he has to extend the funding of indoor-outdoor powered wheelchairs throughout the United Kingdom; [14600]
(6) when the most recent assessment was made of the level of demand for indoor-outdoor powered wheelchairs. [14601]
§ Mr. BowisWe have already implemented the main recommendation of the McColl report on the organisation of the services providing artificial limbs, wheelchairs and appliances for disabled people which was, inter alia, to devolve responsibility for the wheelchair service to the national health service locally. In 1994 we set up a departmental working group to look at the feasibility of introducing a voucher scheme. The group also looked at the likely demand for, and the cost of providing, powered indoor-outdoor wheelchairs. In considering the findings of the working group we have taken into account the report of the Batteries Not Included Consortium and representations made to us by interested parties, including health authorities.
Responsibility for wheelchair provision in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland respectively.