§ Mr. Bob RussellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons he has refused the application for financial assistance from St. Dunstan's Charity for Service War Blinded under Section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968. [86923]
§ Mr. HuttonNo application for Section 64 funding has been received from St. Dunstan's in relation to its own work of providing training and long-term care for men and women who lost their sight while serving in the armed forces. However the Diana Gubbay Trust for the Blind, which is administered by St. Dunstan's to provide care to former members of the armed forces and the civilian forces whose blindness is not attributable to service, has applied for core funding in each of the last two years.
The funds available under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 are finite and many more applications are received from voluntary organisations than it is possible to meet. We considered both applications from the Diana Gubbay Trust very carefully, but concluded that other applications were stronger.