§ Mr. BestTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many wheelchair vouchers have been issued using the sums distributed to health authorities since April 1996; and what the target number of wheelchair vouchers for the four year programme is. [359201
§ Mr. BoatengThe number of vouchers issued for wheelchair services from April 1997 to March 1998 is forecast to be 1,238, with 418 issued between April 1997 to December 1997. This information was not available before April 1997 because the voucher scheme has been phased in since 1996. No targets have been set for the uptake of vouchers over the four year period. Our objective is to extend choice to service users and uptake will therefore depend on how many wheelchair users choose the vouchers option.