§ Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Health what consideration has been given to the production of lighter and more effective hearing aids than the present issue; what are the future prospects in this connection; what is the present stock of Medresco aids; and what further supplies of the present types have been ordered.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithField trials of a transistor aid were held earlier this year and improvements of the prototype model have since been made. This aid will be 5W issued in the first place to children, and a first contract has been signed. Approximately 570,000 Medresco valve aids have been issued to new patients in England and Wales and the number of serviceable aids in stock is approximately 86,000. About 50,000 aids of present types have still to be delivered on orders already placed.