§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the cost of hearing aids available under the National Health Service; what information he has on costs of hearing aids available privately; what representations he has received about the comparative performance of National Health Service and privately available hearing aids; and if he is planning any action to improve the quality and performance of National Health Service hearing aids.
§ Mr. ScottHearing aids for the National Health Service are obtained by Mersey regional health authority following competitive tendering and costs are not disclosed for good commercial reasons. The prices paid are, however, considerably lower than those charged for private hearing aids. We have not received representations recently in regard to comparative performance but the quality and performance of NHS hearing aids are kept under review by the Department, supported by Mersey RHA.