HC Deb 01 May 1990 vol 171 c537W
Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers local health authorities have to require parents of deaf children to take out insurance on commercial hearing aids loaned to them under the National Health Service; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Freeman

Health authorities have no power to require any patient to insure a hearing aid, whether this be a commercial model or a model from the NHS standard range.