HC Deb 27 May 1977 vol 932 cc689-90W
Mr. Craigen

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what follow-up has been made over the examples of cases of disabled people which were raised with him in the House on 26th April by the hon. Member for Reading, South (Dr. Vaughan); and if he will now make a statement.

Mr. Noble

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has now received about the particular cases of mobility for the disabled raised in debate in the House by the hon. Member for Reading, South, (Dr. Vaughan) on 26th April; what action has now been taken; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Alfred Morris

I understand that the details of the two individual cases raised by the hon. Member for Reading, South (Dr. Vaughan) in the debate in the House on 26th April—which he referred to as "Len of Birmingham" and "Charles"—were supplied to him by the hon. Member for Exeter (Mr. Hannam), who was unable to speak in the debate. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Employment and I are now, therefore, in touch with the hon. Member for Exeter to request further particulars. Our concern is to see whether there is any way in which we can help and to proceed urgently with inquiries.

Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the Government have decided to give financial help to the British Association for Disability and Rehabilitation in respect of its planning and preparatory work for a scheme of assisted car purchase for disabled people; and in respect of a demonstration and information service on adaptations to cars for disabled people, respectively; and how much was asked for and the amount of any grant to be made, in each case.

Mr. Alfred Morris

Yes. The Association is now working out details of its assisted car purchase scheme. It is not possible to identify exactly how much of the Department's grants to the Association have been devoted to this purpose, but I can say that the association is receiving all the financial support it needs for planning and preparation, including the obtaining of appropriate expert advice. The Department's proposal for an information and demonstration service was recently put to the association, following earlier informal discussion, with an assurance of substantial financial support for the costs of setting it up and running it; but until the association has prepared plans, it is not possible to say exactly what the costs will be.