§ 24. Mr. Manuelasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he is taking to have hearing aids sent for repair returned to users earlier than is now the practice.
§ Miss HerbisonThe exact arrangements for the repair of hearing aids vary at different centres, and if my hon. Friend has any particular case in mind I shall be glad if he will let me know.
§ Mr. ManuelIs my hon. Friend aware that many hon. Members on this side of the House have instances of hearing aids taking four or five months to repair? Is my hon. Friend aware that old persons who have had the advantage of a hearing aid feel it very badly, being of an advanced age, when they have to wait for its return? Would it not be most beneficial if something could be done to get repairs carried out quickly?
§ Miss HerbisonMost of the clinics carry out their own minor repairs, although a few send them to the regional centre. Where a major repair has to be carried out, the instrument has to be sent back to the manufacturer, and in these cases a new hearing aid is supplied. If my hon. Friend will send me particulars of any cases in which a repair has taken four or five months I will look into the matter.
§ Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas MooreAs 2,000 hearing aids have already been returned as unsuitable, cannot the hon. Lady say how long it is likely to take before the recipients can get new or repaired aids?
§ Miss HerbisonI do not know where the hon. and gallant Gentleman gets his figure of 2,000. It is true that a great many of these do need repairing, but we find that in most clinics the repairs are being carried out very quickly at present.