Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) supply chains, (b) manufacturing costs and (c) procurement processes on the waiting time for patients to receive mobility equipment.

The Department regularly monitors the continuity of supply to patients. While a number of global factors have impacted the supply of mobility aids, these pressures are alleviating.

A large proportion of mobility aids are recovered and reconditioned by providers in the United Kingdom. In addition, alternatives are often available where individual suppliers may experience disruption to supply. Any price increase by suppliers will have been considered according to standard public procurement processes.