asked the Minister of Health when aids to hearing will be supplied to the many persons in Swindon in great need of them.

My right hon. Friend regrets that he cannot say when the supply will have caught up with the very large accumulated demand, but the supply has just been doubled.

asked the Minister of Health what percentage of Medresco hearing aids have been found to be faulty.

About 3 per cent. of the aids delivered to distribution centres are now returned as faulty. Of the aids issued to patients in the first year about 24 per cent. have come in for servicing or repair in England and Wales, but it is difficult to know how much of this represents original faults in the instruments.

Has the hon. Gentleman any idea how long it takes to repair these hearing aids, because there is a great deal of complaint about this matter?

Very often the repairs are minor servicing repairs. We regard the proportion of sets which come back for minor repairs and servicing as extremely small.

asked the Minister of Health what is now the average time taken to obtain a Medresco hearing aid after a certificate has been given.

The waiting period varies between the different distribution centres and in any case depends on priority of need. The average would, therefore, be meaningless even if it could be obtained.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that hospital boards are being instructed to supply pasteurised milk in hospitals, even although it comes from a tuberculin-tested herd; and why it is necessary that tuberculin-tested milk should be pasteurised.

I know of no such instructions, and I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave him on 14th July.

While the word "instructions" may be an over-emphasis, does the Minister deny that strong recommendations have been made by regional hospital boards to local management committees to go in for pasteurised milk as against T.T. milk? Is this part of a scheme to get cheaper milk and contribute to the reduction of £9½ million in the cost of hospital management?

I refute that suggestion entirely. This is solely a matter for the hospital management committees themselves to decide.

asked the Minister of Health what is the number of ophthalmic opticians in England and Wales now employed in providing optical treatment within the National Health Service.

Five thousand six hundred and sixty-two.

Does my hon. Friend consider this number sufficient to meet the needs of the National Health Service, and is he satisfied that ophthalmic opticians as a whole have shown that high standard of professional service which the Minister expected?

We are hoping for an increase in the numbers which will become available for the service, and we feel that in general the professional standard of ophthalmic opticians is high.

Can my hon. Friend tell-us what percentage of the number of available opticians are out of the scheme at present?

Not without notice.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that whereas it was formerly the practice that general practitioners in Bristol could send patients to the Central Health Clinic for X-ray examination of the chest, patients can now be sent there only if referred by a special chest physician or surgeon; why this change has been made; and whether it is temporary or permanent.

I am having inquiry made and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Health what is the average number of patients on the panel of doctors at Bristol; and what is the highest and the lowest number.

At 1st April last the average number was 2,300, the highest something over 4,000, the lowest two.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that officers and men of the Merchant Navy pay Income Tax and National Insurance contributions but are unable to receive any health treatment when they are at sea or abroad in port; and, in view of the fact that the stay in a foreign port is a suitable moment for certain treatment, what action does he propose to take to remedy this state of affairs.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Stone (Mr. H. Fraser) on 7th April.

Does the hon. Gentleman consider it fair that these men should pay the same contribution as the rest of the public, and yet be prevented from receiving the same benefit by reason of the type of their employment? Will he look into the matter again?

We have been looking into the question of dental services, as it was suggested that they were not adequate. Although there is no general complaint we are willing to look into individual cases.

Is my hon. Friend aware of the difficulty that seafarers are in if they have to get treatment abroad? In such a case the cost is deducted from their pay, and should not something be done to meet that cost?

Have we any reciprocal arrangement with foreign Governments whereby they give medical service to our nationals such as they are able to receive over here?

If the hon. Member will look at the earlier Question to which I have referred he will see that negotiations are proceeding.

Will the hon. Gentleman go into the whole question again, because seafaring people spend from 70 to 80 per cent. of their time abroad and are prevented from receiving full benefits although they pay the same contributions as anybody else?

indicated assent.

asked the Minister of Health what proposals have been approved by him in the last 12 months for providing further accommodation in the area of the East Anglian Regional Hospital Board for juvenile and adult mental defectives.

None, Sir. But my right hon. Friend now has under urgent review a scheme for 100 beds at Little Plumstead Hall, and 25 more have just become available at St. Neots.

In view of the fact that the Minister has promised to make these arrangements quickly would he remove the three mentally defective children from St. Margaret's Hospital, Epping, about which I wrote to him?

That is another question.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that members of staffs in some hospitals are prevented from wearing their trade union badges whilst on duty; and what steps he will take to secure that permission is always given.

My right hon. Friend has no evidence that this is true, but if so, it is unwarranted interference with the individual.

asked the Minister of Health the number of dentists who are qualified and the number registered under the Dentists Acts, 1921 to 1923; how many National Health Service dentists are qualified; and how many registered under the said Acts.

The number of dentists on the Dental Register in the United Kingdom who are graduates or licentiates in dental surgery is 10,255, and the number registered under the Dentists Acts, 1921 to 1923, is 4,361. I regret that the information requested in the second and third parts of the Question is not available.

If the Minister is unable to give the information asked for in the last part of the Question, is it surprising that the National Health Service is getting into difficulties? Cannot the Parliamentary Secretary say what proportion of each of these categories has joined the National Health Service?

I can let the hon. Baronet know that out of approximately 10,000 dentists actively engaged in general practice some 9,400 are within the National Health Service.

Cannot the hon. Gentleman say what proportion of these are registered under the Dentists Acts?

Not without a quite unreasonable expense in finding out.

asked the Minister of Health what he estimates would be the increased cost of allowing private patients to obtain drugs recommended by their doctor free of charge.

If the estimated annual rate of expenditure on the pharmaceutical services were proportionately increased in respect of the 5 per cent. of the population of England and Wales not on doctors' lists, the increase would amount to about £1 million.

Does not the official figure show a wild miscalculation on the part of those responsible for framing the new Tory programme? Will my right hon. Friend resist this incitement to reckless expenditure by His Majesty's Opposition?

It shows signs of extravagance in Tory election promises.

asked the Minister of Health if the Regional Hospital Board have completed their investigation of the problem of the aged and chronic sick in the City of Birmingham; and what steps are being taken to improve existing facilities for those aged persons in need of hospital treatment.

The regional board has not yet completed its investigation; meanwhile efforts are being made to increase nursing staff and to bring into use additional beds.

Is my hon. Friend aware that the waiting lists in these hospitals are such that admission cannot be obtained under about three months, in spite of the fact that more aged chronic mental patients have been admitted to hospitals in the past year than in previous years? In view of the urgency of this grave problem, will my hon. Friend press for an investigation so as to get a solution?

Most urgent steps are being taken. We fully appreciate the urgency of the matter.

Would my hon. Friend bear in mind that Birmingham is not alone in this respect? Will he see that other areas. including cities like Manchester, are given equal consideration?

Is it not a fact that this is the result not of the present National Health Service, but of neglect in the past to build hospitals?

asked the Minister of Health how many pairs of glasses and how many sets of false teeth and how many wigs have been provided in the last 12 months; and how many demands are still outstanding.

At a very rough estimate, about 4½ million pairs of spectacles have been supplied under the supplementary eye service and between three and four million pairs are on order. No information is available as to the number of dentures. Up to 20th May, 8,000 wigs were ordered and 2,600 supplied through the Ministry of Pensions, on the advice of specialists.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that in a recent communication which I have had from his Department it is stated that well over 5 million pairs of spectacles have been provided in the last 12 months? Are the figures that he has given quite accurate? Is he trying to keep the number down? Will the hon. Gentleman say whether those figures are in accordance with the estimates that were expected? Obviously they are becoming far more. Will he say what likelihood there is of people obtaining these wigs, spectacles and dentures?

There is a very good chance, a far better chance than they had before, when they had very little opportunity of getting any of this service from hon. Gentlemen opposite.