§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he is satisfied with the provision for early diagnosis of deafness in children and the availability of treatment for them;
(2) how many profoundly or totally deaf children have difficulty in learning to speak;
(3) if he will conduct an inquiry w establish how many social service departments employ special advisers for the problems of deaf children;
(4) how many children have some kind of hearing impairment;
(5) how many children are hard of hearing; and how many are partially or totally deaf.
§ Sir K. JosephFigures in the form requested are not available.
103WI am not satisfied with the existing arrangements for the early detection and treatment of hearing impairment in childhood, and I am reviewing them as well as other services for the deaf. With regard to special advisers, my information is that social service authorities do not employ them exclusively for deaf children but are well aware of the need to make available qualified staff to provide social work support for these and other deaf people and their families.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the most recent technical devices notified to his Department which have been developed to aid acquiring speech for totally deaf children.
§ Mr. AlisonA laryngograph submitted to the Department for evaluation is undergoing trials.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make inquiries about the efficiency of acupuncture in the treatment of deaf children.
§ Sir K. JosephI am in touch with a trial of acupuncture in deaf children which is taking place in New York. Results are not expected until next year.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many deaf children have been provided with an ear-level hearing aid for each of the last five years; and how many have been refused replacements when they left school.
§ Mr. AlisonThe supply of ear-level hearing aids for children commenced in 1969. Issues in England and Wales, including replacements, in each of the last four years is as follows:
1969 7,088 1970 6,816 1971 6,376 1972 6,770 No information is available on the number of children who have sought replacements after leaving school.