HC Deb 23 March 1981 vol 1 c249W
Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the total number of people who are (a) totally deaf and (b) severely deaf.

Mr. Rossi

It is estimated that about 522,000 people aged 16 and over in Great Britain have a hearing loss greater than 65 decibels in the better ear, the great majority of these people are severely, rather than totally, deaf but there are no reliable estimates of the precise breakdown between the two categories.