§ Mrs. Knightasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to ensure that the rise in price from £130.50 to £281 for the Peters Speech Trainer will not deny its use to hearing-impaired children.
§ Mr. MoyleSo far as equipment of this kind is used in the services provided by health authorities it is for the authorities themselves to determine their expenditure on this and other therapeutic provision, having considered the various competing demands. More generally, in my Department's published advice on priorities for the health and social services, the development of services for children has been recommended as a priority. The financial allocations to health authorities are increased each year to compensate for increases in general prices and wages, in addition to any allocation for the development or expansion of services.