HL Deb 25 October 1999 vol 606 cc12-3WA
Lord Morris of Manchester

asked the Chairman of Committees:

What steps have been taken since 17 February to extend special help, in relation to their parliamentary work, to Lords with severe visual impairments. [HL4172]

The Chairman of Committees (Lord Boston of Faversham)

On 17 February, in response to the noble Lord 's oral Question, I listed some of the special help available to peers with severe visual impairments, including, for example, the installation of new lifts, handrails on staircases and ramps. I am grateful for this opportunity to update the House on developments since then.

On 22 March I met representatives of the Royal National Institute for the Blind, whom the noble Lord accompanied. A follow-up meeting was then held with officials of the House. The RNIB welcomed the fact that many of the things which would assist visually impaired peers, such as the funding of personal assistance and the provision of audio tapes of Hansard, were already available.

Other recommendations related particularly to the documents used by peers. On 5 July the Administration and Works Sub-Committee considered the font size of the Lord s Minute and the Order Paper and requested that the RNIB be invited to approve an increase in the font size of the Order Paper from 10.5 point to 12 point. The sub-committee will reconsider the Order Paper at its next meeting, when a reply from the RNIB has been received. The Lord s Minute can now be printed out on request in a font size suited to the needs of any visually impaired peers, which accords with the "flexible approach" suggested by the RNIB. The noble Lord may also be interested to hear that the new format for Bills and Acts discussed by the Procedure Committee and the House of Commons Modernisation Committee will include a larger typeface.

In May, several Members of the House were contacted to find out whether they wished to request any special assistance in connection with their parliamentary duties. One request was made, in relation to the first step up from the Floor of the Chamber towards the Back Benches, near the Bar. Unfortunately, it was not possible to make this step the same depth as the others without impeding wheelchair access to the Chamber, but the edges of the first two steps were picked out more clearly in order to assist visually impaired peers. No other services or facilities were requested, or have been requested since.