§ Mr. Ian Harveyasked the Minister of Health (1) how the payments were made for the years 1947–48 to 1950–51, inclusive, for which provision was included in the Civil Estimates, Class V, and described therein as for Government hearing aids under the heading Central Purchase of Medical Supplies, Stores and Equipment, Current Expenditure, divided between purchase of aids, purchase of batteries, purchase of other component parts and other payments, respectively;
216W(2) what payments were made in each of the years 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50 and 1950–51, for which provision was included in the Civil Estimates, Class V, and described therein as for Government hearing aids under the heading Central Purchase of Medical Supplies, Stores and Equipment, Current Expenditure;
(3) what payments were made in each of the years 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50 and 1950–51, for which provision was included in the Civil Estimates, Class V, and described therein as for Government hearing aids under the heading Central Purchase of Medical Supplies, Stores and Equipment, Current Expenditure; how these payments were divided between purchase of aids, purchase of batteries, purchase of other component parts and other payments, respectively; and what numbers, respectively, of aids, batteries and other components paid for up to 31st March, 1951, had not at that date ever been issued to patients under the National Health Service.
§ Mr. F. Harrisasked the Minister of Health (1) how much of the total payments made to 31st March, 1951, for which estimates totalling£2,407,000 were provided under the heading, Government Hearing Aids, in the Civil Estimates, Class V, for the years 1947–48 to 1950–51, were for expenditure other than the actual purchase of hearing aids, hearing-aid batteries, and other components for hearing aids; and on what were such payments spent;
(2) how much of the estimates for the years 1947–48 to 1950–51 described as for Government Hearing Aids under the heading Central Purchase of Medical Supplies, Stores and Equipment, Current Expenditure, in the Civil Estimates, Class V, for these years, and totalling for England and Wales,£2,407,000 was actually expended;
(3) what were the total payments for the purchase of Government hearing aids to 31st March, 1951;
(4) what were the total payments for the purchase of hearing-aid batteries and other components for hearing aids, respectively, to 31st March, 1951.
§ Mr. CrookshankThe amounts paid in the years 1948–49, 1949–50 and 1950–51 are shown in the following table. There was no expenditure in 1947–48.
217W
— Hearing Aids Batteries Components Other items (audiometers and testing equipment) Total £ £ £ £ £ 1948–49 … 123,224 67,127 52,500 Nil 242,851 1949–50 … 305,322 75,271 152,848 Nil 533,441 1950–51 … 272,817 148,365 49,396 11,000 481,578 Total … 701,363 290,763 254,744 11,000 1,257,870 Of 162,200 hearing aids paid for by 31st March, 1951, 16,700 had not been issued to patients at that date. The number of reconditioned hearing aids included in this unissued stock is not known. Information about the number of batteries and other components unissued to patients at the same date is not readily available.
§ Mr. Ewartasked the Minister of Health how many persons in Sunderland have received hearing aids; how many are still awaiting such aids; and of these how many require the bone conduction type.
§ Mr. CrookshankIn the area served by the Sunderland centre, which is wider than Sunderland itself, 4,757 patients have received Medresco hearing aids and 3,677 are waiting. I regret that I cannot say precisely how many of the latter require bone conduction aids, but I am informed that the proportion is very small.