§ Mr. Luceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what proportion of children are screened for deafness in their first year;
(2) how many children with severe congenital sensorineural deafness are diagnosed in their first year;
(3) how many babies have been born deaf per annum for the last five years as a result of maternal rubella.
§ Dr. OwenI regret that the information is not available in the form requested, but profound prelingual deafness in children is believed to occur in some 15 out of every 10,000 live births. I am concerned about the arrangements for detecting hearing loss in infants and children; health authorities are being consulted about their current procedures and I shall consider the need for further action in the light of this.