§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many more invalid tricycles his Department expects to have delivered to it before concluding such orders; and what is the cost of these tricycles.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisThe final contracts for invalid three-wheelers are in respect of 1,500 vehicles to be delivered up to 31st March 1978. It is not the practice to reveal contract prices.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list 253W the average cost of local authority residential care for the younger physically handicapped in each year since 1948; and if he will express each figure as a percentage of average earnings in that year.
§ Mr. MoyleThe figures are as follows:—
Average weekly costs in England and Wales Average weekly costs as a percentage of average earnings in the United Kingdom £ per cent. 1958–59 6.25 49.0 1959–60 6.52 48.0 1960–61 6.92 48.0 1961–62 7.55 49.0 1962–63 8.05 51.0 1963–64 8.72 52.0 1964–65 9.18 51.0 1965–66 9.87 50.0 1966–67 10.77 53.0 1967–68 11.59 54.0 1968–69 12.17 53.0 1969–70 12.87 52.0 1970–71 14.92 53.0 1971–72 17.45 56.0 1972–73 17.86 50.0 1973–74 21.15 52.0 1974–75 29.13 60.0 1975–76 38.75 65.0 The expenditure figures relate to residential accommodation for the elderly and the younger physically handicapped. Sufficient information is not available centrally to provide figures for the younger physically handicapped.
The figures from 1972–73 onwards exclude the cost of administration, which cannot be apportioned to individual services.
The figures are of net expenditure, including loan charges, plus income from charges to residents.
The figures of average earnings used relate to full-time manual wage earners in manufacturing and some of the principal non-manufacturing industries. Figures other than on a United Kingdom basis are not available throughout the period.
Comparable weekly costs are not available for years earlier than 1958–59.