EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Social Services is making a Statement in another place on improved services for the deaf. It has been agreed through the usual channels that this Statement need not be repeated here, but, with the leave of the House, I will arrange for it to be circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
The Statement was as follows:
"With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, I wish to make a Statement on behalf of myself and my right honourable friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales about important steps which the Government are taking to improve services for the deaf.
"As honourable Members will know, the hospital-based treatment of deafness has been an integral part of the National Health Service, and has included the provision of a range of hearing aids for those likely to benefit from their use. But as knowledge has grown the body-worn Medresco aids which have served us so well are ceasing to be fully adequate. We propose, therefore, as part of the National Health Service to provide over the coming years a behind-the-ear aid free of charge for all adults for whom it is suitable, and for children who already receive this type of aid. This will offer an alternative to Medresco aid users, and help many who do not now use a Medresco aid and cannot afford a commercial behind-the-ear aid. These people will for the first time be able to benefit from the hospital-based clinical and allied services in obtaining an aid and in using it effectively.
"The numbers involved are large—probably one million or more. The cost 508 will be met from the resources available for the expanding health service programme, but it will necessarily take time to produce enough suitable aids, and to secure suitable staff. We therefore aim to begin issuing the new aids in the autumn of next year, and to complete the operation over five years. This programme will offer the opportunity to British industry to establish large-scale manufacturing facilities for head-worn hearing aids with potential benefits for overseas as well as home sales.
"In the first year we propose to give priority to:
- war pensioners who require aids for accepted disabilities,
- mothers with young children,
- children of any age and young people receiving full-time education,
- young people whose behind-the-ear aid has been replaced by a body-worn model on leaving school,
- people with an additional severe handicap, such as blindness,
- people with exceptional medical need not included in these groups.
"There are many other people with impaired hearing, both of working age and elderly, outside these groups, and we shall therefore be consulting the bodies concerned to help us in determining priorities for the second and later years of the programme.
"Even with this new aid not all needs will be met, and in particular some of those suffering from sensorineural deafness may not be helped. Further research is required, and the Medical Research Council is taking steps to encourage fundamental studies.
"We recognise that other services for the deaf call for improvement. There are shortages of trained staff, which will take some years to remedy. I must emphasise that a great range of skills needs to be secured before we can apply our existing knowledge to those who might benefit, and that much new knowledge needs to be won before substantial groups of the deaf can be fully helped. We hope that the National Health Service and local authorities, in partnership with the voluntary organisations which have 509 done so much pioneering work, will strengthen these services as quickly as practicable."