§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what experiments have been made to use materials other than leather for the manufacture of surgical boots and orthopaedic shoes.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisThere have been experiments over a period of years with a wide variety of alternative materials. Microcellular plastic is now in common use for the soles and heels of surgical footwear. Foamed polyethylene is used for insoles and foam-backed nylon linings have also been introduced where appropriate. Synthetic leather uppers have proved unsatisfactory, except for specialised applications such as vacuum-moulded or urine resistant footwear. Experiments are continuing with the use of high density plastic foam in lieu of cork to compensate for shortening of the leg.
§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average cost of a pair of fitted boots for use with a caliper, excluding the cost of the caliper; and what is the average cost of one pair of orthopaedic shoes to be worn without calipers.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisRecords are not kept in such a way that a mean cost can be calculated for a particular type of surgical boot or its nearest analogue in a different category. The order of cost is that if, as they might, surgical boots for use with a caliper cost about £52, a pair of surgical shoes, functionally comparable apart from the caliper requirement, would be likely to cost about £49.