§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will issue further guidance on the weight which purchasers are required to give to the views of disabled people and their families when evaluating options for providing social care for people with learning disability who have been in long-stay residential hospital provision; and if he will make a statement. [43299]
§ Mr. BoatengWe have no plans to do so. Current guidance already makes clear that we would expect the views and wishes of disabled people and their families to be taken into account when planning and arranging services. We are currently looking at the closure plans for the old long stay learning disability hospitals so that we can be sure that the proposals are based on sound individualised planning, proper consultation has taken place and all options have been fully considered.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to promote independent mobility for disabled people. [43355]
§ Mr. BoatengBetween 1996 and 2000 the Department is making an additional £50 million available to National Health Service wheelchair services to enable them to provide electrically powered indoor/outdoor wheelchairs for those severely disabled people who can benefit from them, and to introduce a voucher scheme to give wheelchair users more choice.