§ Mrs. SpelmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) where the pilot schemes for digital hearing aids will be located; and how individuals who wish to take part in the pilots may do so; [107985]
(2) what are the criteria used for the selection of sites for his Department's new digital hearing aid pilot; [107987]
(3) how many pilot schemes with end dates for hearing aids his Department has created in each of the last three years; what the end dates were; and if the pilot schemes have been rolled out by their end dates. [107988]
§ Mr. HuttonThe pilot scheme to trail digital hearing aids which we announced recently is a new scheme; there have not been any earlier pilots of a similar nature funded by the Department.
The criteria for the scheme are currently being finalised. We will be writing to National Health Service trusts and health authorities shortly to seek applications from hearing aid departments to participate in the scheme. Details of the participating sites, when agreed, will be publicised.