§ Mr. Cormackasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of the decision to withdraw the three-wheel invalid cars, he will consider a scheme of interest-free loans for car purchase for invalid drivers.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisThe main principles of the mobility allowance scheme are, first, equity between drivers and non-drivers, and secondly, flexibility to use the allowance in any way the individual disabled person chooses. It would be a departure from these principles to allocate additional funds to some disabled people because they can drive, but I very much welcome the continuing work of the Central Council for the Disabled to secure favourable car purchase and hire terms 1023W for disabled people who can drive or be driven. I am keeping in close touch with the central council on this important matter.
§ Mr. John Mooreasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the toal number of registered disabled drivers.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisThe information is not available. There is no register of disabled drivers. They are not distinguished separately in information based on the registers of disabled people which are maintained by local authorities or by the Employment Services Agency.
§ Mr. John Mooreasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied that the groups he consults representing disabled drivers, that is the Disabled Drivers Association and the Invalid Tricycle Action Group, are sufficiently representative of such drivers; and what is his knowledge of the extent to which they are representative.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisI consult frequently with the main organisations in this field and, in particular, with the Central Council for the Disabled, the Joint Committee on Mobility for the Disabled, the Disabled Drivers' Motor Club and the Disabled Drivers' Association. These organisations represent many thousands of disabled drivers.