§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) how many cases the disciplinary committee of the Hearing Aid Council has heard in each year since its establishment;
611W(2) on how many occasions the disciplinary committee of the Hearing Aid Council has met in each year since its establishment;
(3) how many hearing aid dispensers, or firms employing hearing aid dispensers, have been struck off the register for each year since its establishment.
§ Mr. ButcherThe Hearing Aid Council is an independent statutory body and is not required to account to my Department for the exercise of its statutory functions. However I understand that the information requested by the hon. Member is as follows:
Hearing aid council disciplinary committee Year Number of cases Number of meetings Numbers struck off register 1968 — — — 1969 — — — 1970 — — — 1971 — — — 1972 5 2 2 1973 2 1 1 1974 3 2 2 1975 1 1 1 1976 1 1 1 1977 — — — 1978 — — — 1979 — — — 1980 — — — 1981 — — — 1982 1 1 — 1983 1 1 — 1984 2 1 — 1985 1 1 — 1986 — — — 1987 — — — 1988 — — — (to date) Total 17 11 7