Mr. J. Enoch Powellasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by what factors he accounts for the exceptionally low number of households 609W receiving assistance with the installation or rental of telephones in the area of the Southern health and social services board.
§ Mr. AlisonThe telephone scheme is administered by health and social service boards in accordance with uniform criteria laid down by the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland. The application of these criteria to particular cases is a matter for the judgment of the board staff concerned. This, together with differences between localities in matters such as population densities, the amount of urban development, the prevalence of handicap, the age structure of the population and household composition may be expected to produce variations between boards and their districts in the number of households assisted with the installation or rental of a telephone. Nevertheless this matter has been drawn to the attention of the Southern health and social services board.