asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a special grant to the Brent Sickle Cell Society to buy a computer/word processor for its centre at Willesden general hospital, following the raising by the society of £2000 by voluntary subscriptions.

the Department has already made a grant of £8,000 for the financial year 1982–83 towards the central office expenses of the Sickle Cell Society. The Society made no reference in its application for this grant to the proposed purchase of a computer/word processor. I would not expect any increase to be made in the grant now agreed for the current year, but any further request for help of this kind would be considered on its merits.