HC Deb 17 July 1990 vol 176 cc514-5W
Mr. Ashley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the amount awarded by his Department to fund the embossed literature service for each of the last 10 years for which figures are available;

(2) what steps he is taking to encourage greater provision of materials in braille;

(3) what would be the current value of the embossed literature service grant had it been increased in line with inflation since 1979;

(4) what discussions he has held with the Royal National Institute for the Blind on the embossed literature service grant.

Mr. Dorrell

The table shows the amounts awarded, under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968, to the Royal National Institute for the Blind's (RNIB) embossed literature service, for each of the financial years 1981–82 to 1990–91. The amount awarded in 1978–79 (£165,000) would be worth £411,341 at 1990–91 prices. Officials met a number of senior representatives of the RNIB in February this year to discuss the future funding of this service, which produces embossed literature to meet a wide variety of social, cultural, educational and technical needs. As a consequence of this meeting, a number of suggestions have been offered to the RNIB for generating new sources of income for the service. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security and Disabled People has also initiated discussions between his officials and the RNIB about producing social security information in braille at an agreed cost which would be met by funds from the Department of Social Security.

Year Amount (£000)
1981–82 355
1982–83 235
1983–84 240
1984–85 250

Year Amount (£000)
1985–86 250
1986–87 250
1987–88 250
1988–89 250
1989–90 250
1990–91 200