§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will instruct hearing aid centres to service all National Health Service aids irrespective of the district in which they were supplied;
(2) if he will take steps to increase the number of collection points for 178W replacement and spare parts for hearing aids.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisI am advised that hearing aids issued through the National Health Service can be taken to any hearing aid centre for maintenance or repair, irrespective of where they were issued. Facilities for the exchange of defective aids and the issue of accessories are widely available throughout the hospital service and are also provided by some local authorities and voluntary organisations. Any extension of these arrangements is a matter for the appropriate health authority in the light both of local needs and the availability of resources to meet them.
If my hon. Friend has any particular cases of difficulty he would like me to look into, I shall be very glad to do so.