§ Mr. Ian Lloydasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why no further progress has been made in the installation of an EMI scanner at the Wessex Neurological Centre, Southampton, since the first application for this instrument, made on 23rd November 1972.
§ Dr. OwenThe application made by Wessex Neurological Centre, Southampton, in December 1972 was to be allowed to take part in the clinical trials and evaluation of the EMI scanner, but at that time the three machines purchased centrally for this purpose had already been allocated. Two further machines purchased during the first quarter of 1974 were sited so as to achieve an equitable geographical spread.
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PERSONS RECEIVING SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT ON 5TH NOVEMBER 1974 Thousands Claimants Dependants Claimants Plus Dependants Retirement pensioners and national insurance widows 60 and over 1,712 325 2,036 Others over pension age 96 4 101 Unemployed with national insurance benefit 73 140 212 Unemployed without national insurance benefit 228 285 514 Sick and disabled with national insurance benefit 95 90 184 Sick and disabled without national insurance benefit 165 36 201 Women under 60 with dependent children 245 483 728 National insurance widows under 60 42 21 62 Others 24 28 53 Total persons receiving supplementary benefit 2,680 1,412 4,092 Wage stopped (unemployed) 8 46 54 Note: Because of rounding the component parts do not always sum to the total. At present the Department has no plans to purchase further machines: it is for regional health authorities to decide whether to acquire the EMI scanner from their own resources.