§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many projects or units are now being funded by the Medical Research Council for advanced ergonomically designed hearing aids incorporating the latest technological processes and components.
§ Mr. William SheltonI understand that the Medical Research Council is supporting two projects relating to advanced designs of acoustic hearing aid. One is at the MRC institute of hearing research, Nottingham, and the other, which has also received DHSS support, is at the MRC neuro-otology unit, London.
In addition, the council supports a major collaborative programme of work at Guy's hospital, at University college, London, and at Cambridge university on the artificial electrical stimulation of the cochlea for those with profound deafness. The MRC neurological prostheses unit is preparing intra-cochlear implants for a separate programme of work which has external funding, on this topic.
The council also supports several projects on the psychoacoustical basis of hearing impairment, knowledge of which is an essential prerequisite for the rational design of hearing aids. In at least one case this research is complemented by work on hearing aid design supported by fiinds from other sources. In addition, the council supports projects related to the service provision of hearing aids.