Wheelchair Users

Lord Faulkner of Worcester Excerpts

Thursday 21st April 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

The noble Baroness is absolutely right. Getting the wheelchairs fitted properly and making the right assessments can save the NHS a fortune. It is outrageous that we have not tackled this before. The tragedy of the NHS is that if you do not have a tariff or target, you do not get the money. We are developing a tariff. The charter developed last year by the wheelchair alliance is an outstanding document.

[Lord Faulkner of Worcester (Lab)]

My Lords, can the Minister indicate how much progress his honourable friend the Minister for Disabled People has made in persuading Britain’s sports governing bodies, particularly the football authorities, to make sure that all their stadia comply with the accessibility guidelines, which are of course of particular importance to wheelchair users? I declare an interest as a vice-president of the Level Playing Field charity.

[Lord Prior of Brampton]

My Lords, I am afraid that I cannot answer that question as I do not know the answer. If it is all right to do so, I will write to the noble Lord and place the answer in the Library.