§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made in setting up outstations of the Institute of Hearing Research; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisFollowing the appointment by the Medical Research Council of Dr. Mark Haggard as Director of the Institute on 1st January 1977, my Department set up a joint working group to consider possible locations for outstations to undertake multi-centre rehabilitation, clinical and epidemiological studies. The group includes representatives of the Medical Research Council, the Scottish Home and Health Department and the Welsh Office. It is envisaged that five outstations will be established, three in England and one each in Wales and Scotland. They will be adjacent to existing hospital audiology departments. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I will make funds available for developing the service facilities to be provided by the NHS in support of the outstation programmes. The institute has expressed interest in establishing outstations at Southampton, Cardiff and Glasgow and discusssions are proceeding with the relevant authorities 67W with a view to setting up the first outstations in 1978. Consideration is now being given to the possible location in England of the other two outstations.
My hon. Friend may also like to know that the Medical Research Council has appointed Dr. Ross Coles, senior lecturer (Clinical) at Southampton University, as Deputy Director of the Institute.