§ 43. Mr. John Huntasked the Secretary of State for Social Services in what circumstances his Department provides disabled persons with vehicles with automatic transmission; how many such cars have been provided by his Department; and if he is satisfied with the existing criteria for the supply of such vehicles.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisA disabled war pensioner satisfying certain medical criteria may choose to be provided with either an invalid tricycle, the current model of which has automatic transmission, or a motor car, which will not have automatic transmission unless the Department's medical officer certifies this to be medically essential. The benefit applicable to other disabled persons, except those with a reserved right to a vehicle on the terms applicable when the former vehicle scheme came to an end on 31st December 1975, is the mobility allowance. Vehicles are therefore not issued to new applicants apart from war pensioners and those benefiting from a temporary arrangement under which tricycles may be provided to people who cannot receive mobility allowance solely because their age group has not yet been phased in to the new scheme.
525WAt 31st December 1976 there were 18,147 tricycles on issue in England, of which 11,668 were of the current model; and 10,314 motor-cars, of which 2,214 had automatic transmission. I shall be glad to look into any particular case of difficulty which the hon. Member may have in mind.