asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many rehabilitation engineering centres of prosthetic aids exist in Scotland; and how many others are planned.

The only centre in Scotland of which I am aware is the Tayside rehabilitation engineering service, Dundee. It is for health boards to decide whether they wish to set up such units.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what programmes exist to evaluate United Kingdom-produced orthotic and prosthetic aids.

All orthotic and prosthetic aids supplied through the National Health Service are assessed for safety and reliability by the scientific and technical branch of the Department of Health and Social Security. In addition, the Scottish Home and Health Department committee for research on equipment for the disabled awards grants to Scottish projects designed to develop and/or evaluate prosthetic or orthotic devices.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he proposes to link the prosthetic and orthotic services.

Prosthetic and orthotic services are provided by health boards. It is for them to take decisions on whether it would be appropriate for the services to be linked in their areas. This has been largely achieved in the Tayside health board area.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent orthopaedic units are associated with hospital-based orthotic units in Scotland.

Fourteen of the 15 hospital-based orthotics units in Scotland are associated with orthopaedic units. The exception is the orthotics unit at the Gilbert Bain hospital, Lerwick.