§ Mr. BerryTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what inter-departmental meetings have been held to consider how severely-disabled people can be enabled to participate in Welfare to Work through having their clinically-assessed needs for indoor/outdoor powered wheelchairs met; [43372]
(2) what action his Department is taking to ensure that severely disabled people, with clinically-assessed needs for indoor and outdoor powered wheelchairs have these needs met to enable them to participate in Welfare to Work. [43373]
§ Mr. Alan HowarthThe Department has close contact with the Department of Health on a range of issues including the development of the New Deal for Disabled People.
700WClinically assessed need for severely disabled people to have access to indoor/outdoor powered wheelchairs is a matter for the Department of Health. Between 1996 and 2000, the Department of Health is making an additional £50 million available to NHS wheelchair services to enable them to provide electrically powered indoor/ outdoor wheelchairs for those severely disabled people who can benefit from them.
This, together with Access to Work, will help people who need such wheelchairs in order to lead a full working and independent life.