§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many applications have been rejected by Motability to date on the grounds that it is not possible to adapt any of the available cars for the applicant; what action he is taking to provide specialised vehicles for these people; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Alfred Morris:The extent to which individual disabled people can be helped by Motability is a matter for the organisation itself to determine. Although there is close co-operation between its officials and officers of my Department 459W we do not keep a record of its activities nor would it be right to do so.
As my hon. Friend is aware, Government help for individual disabled people with mobility problems now takes the form of mobility allowance. The mobility allowance is paid to non-drivers as well as drivers and, when it is fully phased-in, will represent a seven-fold increase in expenditure over the invalid vehicle scheme which it replaced.
My Department, jointly with Department of Transport, has commissioned the Motor Industry Research Association to undertake a study of available adaptations to ordinary motor cars, and of the potential value of further adaptations or of specialised vehicles which are available or under development both at home and abroad. In addition to discharging our undertaking to former vehicle scheme
Date of uprating Ordinary Scale rate £ Value at October 1978 prices £ Long-term scale rate £ Value at October 1978 prices £ October 1973 … … … … 12.90 27.26 14.10 29.80 July 1974 … … … … 14.90 27.64 17.60 32.65 April 1975 … … … … 16.90 26.59 20.10 31.62 November 1975 … … … … 19.00 26.59 22.80 31.91 November 1976 … … … … 21.90 26.53 26.10 31.62 November 1977 … … … … 24.80 26.50 29.60 31.63 November 1978 … … … … 26.50 — 32.80 —
§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has had regarding the raising of the earnings limit for the blind.