§ 35. Mr. F. Noel-Bakerasked the Minister of Health what steps he has taken to accelerate the supply of transistor hearing aids to the Swindon area and to replace battery-operated aids still in use, for which it has now become difficult to obtain replacements, boxes and leads.
§ Miss PittWith the assistance of my right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General, my right hon. and learned Friend is trying to speed up the supply of transistor hearing aids, the delivery of which has been delayed by production difficulties. As regards the supply of parts for valve aids, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Members for Cardiff, West (Mr. G. Thomas), Stockton-on-Tees (Mr. Chetwynd) and the hon. and learned Member for Kettering (Mr. Mitchison) on 2nd November.
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§ Mr. Maurice Macmillanasked the Minister of Health how many deaf aids, supplied under the National Health Service, are now in use; and their average length of life.
§ Miss PittPrecise figures are not available, but the number is estimated at rather more than half a million for England and Wales. The average life of the most commonly used type of Medresco valve aid is about eight years.