§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent studies have been commissioned by the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board relating to the needs of severely and profoundly deaf people; and what recommendations from those studies his Department has acted on. [92562]
§ Mr. BayleyThe Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board (DLAAB) is an advisory body and does not itself commission work. However, in 1998 the Board was commissioned by the Department of Social Security to undertake a study on deafness in children and young adults. This work will be completed shortly.
In addition, the Department more recently commissioned the Board to undertake a study of deaf-blind people who had claimed DLA. The Department is currently acting on certain findings arising from this work, in particular recommendations on improving evidence gathering on claims from deaf-blind people and on the need to increase the understanding of the problems arising from the combination of deafness and blindness amongst those responsible for administrating Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance.
106W
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many members of the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board are (a) deaf and (b) have a professional specialism in hearing impairment. [92563]
§ Mr. BayleyThe Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board has one member who has a severe hearing impairment. She is consultant psychiatrist in mental health services for deaf people and has been a trustee of the Royal National Institute for Deaf People since 1996.