§ Mrs. Renee Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the length of waiting lists for treatment, he will provide resources to enable the neuro-otology clinic at University college hospital to continue to treat patients.
§ Mr. John Patten[pursuant to his reply, 1 November 1983, c. 367]: To date, departmental support for the clinic has been a research grant of between £4,000 and £5,000 a year, as part of a multi-centre trial of tinnitus maskers. This research has now been completed but we have offered to continue funding the work of the clinic at the level of £5,000 in 1983–84, and to consider the case for further support in 1984–85. I regret that this offer has been declined by the honorary consultant in charge of the clinic, but it remains open should he wish to reconsider it.
Decisions on the longer-term funding of this work will need to take into account the results, which we are still awaiting, of the research.