§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has carried out on the impact of early detection on outcomes for hearing-impaired children; and if he will make a statement. [36375]
§ Mr. BowisIn 1994, I asked the screening panel which supports the departmental standing group on health technologies to give priority to considering developments in the early identification of hearing impairment in children and to advise on whether the available evidence was sufficient to justify a review of policy and practice. To facilitate this, we commissioned the Medical Research Council Institute of Hearing Research to produce a review paper. We expect to receive this paper shortly.