§ 31. Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many National Health Service hearing aids were issued in 1982.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergDuring the year ended 31 August 1982, the latest 12 month period for which records are available centrally, over 466,000 National Health Service hearing aids were issued in England and Wales.
§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to ensure that National Health Service hearing aid centres have supplies of aids in the BE 30 and BE 50 range; how many requests he has received for such supplies from centres in the north-west Thames region; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergHearing aids in the BE 30 and BE 50 ranges are issued to hearing aid centres in response to their monthly forecasts of demand. Approval is being sought to the increasing of supplies by the allocation of additional money from within existing cash limits, as anticipated in the reply given to the hon. Member on 20 December 1982.—[Vol. 34, c.354.]