§ Mr. Fittasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many elderly or handicapped people were assisted with the installation of telephones in Northern Ireland and in each area health board in 1977 and 1978, respectively; and what rate this represented per 1,000 population in each year.
§ Mr. CarterInformation on the number of elderly or handicapped persons helped is not available but in 1977 the number of households helped with the cost of installing a telephone was as follows:
Health and Social Services Board Number Rate per 1,000 population Eastern 38 0.06 Northern 35 0.10 Southern 18 0.07 Western 100 0.41 191 0.12 The figures for 1978 are not yet available.
§ Mr. Fittasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many elderly or handicapped people received assistance with payment of telephone rental in Northern Ireland in 1977 and 1978, respectively; and what rate this represented per 1,000 population in each year.
§ Mr. CarterInformation on the numper of elderly or handicapped persons helped in this way is not available, but in 1977 health and social services boards helped 179 households in Northern Ireland with the cost of telephone rental. This represents a rate of just under 0.12 per 1,000 population. Figures for 1978 are not yet available.
§ Mr. Fittasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many elderly 585W or handicapped people received assistance with a holiday in Northern Ireland and in each area health board in 1977 and 1978, respectively; and what rate this represented per 1,000 population in each year.
§ Mr. CarterThis information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
However, the number of people helped by the health and social services boards with holidays in 1977 and the rates per 1,000 population were as follows:
1977 Health and Social Services Board Number helped Rate per 1,000 population Eastern 777 1.17 Northern 348 0.96 Southern 240 0.90 Western 222 0.92 1,587 1.03 The figures for 1978 are not yet available.