asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide the latest available data on the

[pursuant to his reply, 27 July 1979, c. 676]: All hearing-impaired people, including those in of employment, may, subject to the approval of a consultant, be supplied with a hearing aid from a standard NHS range and also have it serviced and repaired and receive a regular supply of batteries, free of charge. Where an aid from the standard range cannot benefit a person in employment, the Manpower Services Commission, under the special aids to employment scheme, can provide a special aid on loan if it is specifically needed for employment purposes.Information on which to base an estimate of the cost of supplying all hearing-impaired people in employment with a special hearing aid is not available.