asked Her Majesty's Government:

What consideration they have given to the recommendations in SCOPE's recent report, No Voice, No Choice: disabled people's experiences of accessing communication aids; and what action they are taking to address the recommendations. [HL4427]

The Government are aware of the challenges facing the provision of communication aids and recognise the importance and differences these services can make to an individual’s life. The Department of Health has considered the experiences set out in the SCOPE report No Voice, No Choice, and officials have met SCOPE to discuss these issues.

The department has designed a radical new retail model for the delivery of community equipment, which includes communication aids, in England. This model places service users and carers at its heart. It is, though, for local National Health Service organisations and social services to decide how resources such as community equipment should be allocated and to commission appropriate services, taking account of local circumstances and priorities.