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Hearing Aids
Baroness Howe of Idlicote asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many digital hearing aids have been distributed nationwide from National Health Service hearing aids services since the digital scheme was announced in February; and [HL3736]
What is the estimated number of National Health Service patients with hearing loss who would benefit from a switch from analogue to digital hearing aids; and what percentage of these have been supplied and fitted so far; and [HL3738]
Further to the remark by the Lord Ashley of Stoke on 13 February 2003 (HL Deb, col. 813), whether every National Health Service patient with hearing loss who would benefit from a switch to a digital hearing aid will be given the opportunity to switch to a digital instrument within the two year roll-out of the digital scheme; and [HL3739]
To what extent private sector technicians have been involved in the digital aid scheme so far; and what National Health Service evaluation has been made for the continuance of such a partnership with the private sector, once the roll-out period is completed; and [HL3740]
Whether the money ring-fenced for the digital hearing aid scheme roll-out will continue to be available for the supplying and fitting of digital hearing aids to National Health Service patients once the roll-out period is completed. [HL3741]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): From the beginning of the modernising hearing aid services project in May 2000 until the end of May 2004, audiology departments fitted 267,000 hearing aids for 195,000 people as part of the project. Of these, 188,000 were fitted for 136,000 people since February 2003. We have made no estimate of the number of people who might benefit from a switch from analogue to digital hearing aids.
It has proved necessary to set up a prioritisation system for the issue of digital hearing aids, which will
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mean that some people with analogue aids will not be fitted with new digital aids within the two-year roll out.
To increase capacity, a national framework agreement was developed with private dispensers to fit National Health Service hearing aids to NHS patients, free of charge to the patient. So far 41 NHS sites have already signed up to use the scheme in 2004 with another 39 joining shortly. By the end of May 2004, private dispensers had fitted 987 NHS patients with NHS digital hearing aids. The national framework agreement runs initially for a two-year period beginning in October 2003 with an optional extension for a further three years. NHS trusts will be able to make use of the agreement as long as it is in place.
Money for digital hearing aids will still be available to primary care trusts after April 2005. It will be for PCTs to decide how best to provide audiology services.
Defra: Funding of Outdoor Recreation Initiatives
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the departmental budget allocated to the promotion of sport and physical recreation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its associated agencies for each year since 2001–02. [HL3382]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is responsible for promoting sport but Defra funds a wide range of initiatives to increase opportunities for outdoor recreation. Many of the programmes are delivered by other bodies that Defra grant-aids, in particular the Countryside Agency, the seven English National Park Authorities, the Broads Authority and the Environment Agency. Programmes include implementation of the new right of access to open country and registered common land, and improving access to water.
The actual and projected expenditure for these activities by Defra-sponsored non-departmental public bodies and National Park Authorities is as follows:
1 Figures based on approximate expenditure by the Parks and Broads Authority of 35 per cent of total budgets.
In addition, Defra provides annual sums of between £12 million and £19 million to local highway authorities to meet their new rights of way obligations under Part II of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act. These payments are made through the local
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authority environmental protection and cultural service block grant.
Rivers and Waterways: Recreational Activities
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether an audit has been undertaken on the number of accredited recreational facilities on the River Thames and the funding committed to their maintenance and upkeep in each year since 2000. [HL3706]
Lord Whitty: As far as we are aware, no central audit has been undertaken of accredited recreational facilities on the River Thames but the Environment Agency has provided information on the number of locks and the costs of maintaining them.
There are 44 locks on the River Thames. Expenditure on their maintenance and improvement since 2000 has been as follows:
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their best estimate of the net financial contribution to the economy of leisure activity on the River Thames. [HL3708]
Lord Whitty: An economic assessment carried out by independent consultants in 2001 estimated that, in that year, boating-related activity on the non-tidal Thames employed 17,000 people and generated a spend of £85 million. Other leisure activity and tourism in the riverside wards of the non-tidal river employed 55,000 people and generated a further spend of £119 million.
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have to increase participation in sport and recreation on the rivers and waterways of the United Kingdom. [HL3710]
Lord Whitty: The Government gave a commitment to increase access to water in Working for the Essentials of Life, published in 2002. We also commissioned a study from Brighton University study to establish what recreational opportunities are currently available. The report of that study, Water-based sport and recreation: the Facts was published in 2001.
The Brighton study found that supply and demand for water-based recreation is broadly in balance but it identified some unmet demand for white water and long distance routes for canoeists in some parts of the country.
In light of these findings, my right honourable friend the Minister for Rural Affairs and Local Environmental Quality asked the Countryside Agency to undertake a feasibility study into improving access for canoeists by voluntary agreement. The study
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focused on four pilot areas and the findings indicate that voluntary agreements can be made to work in certain circumstances. My right honourable friend is now considering the report's recommendations that agreements be completed in the pilot areas.
In addition, the Environment Agency has embarked on a programme of developing regional strategies for water-based sport and recreation and its annual conservation, access and recreation reports made
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under the Environment Act 1995 provide information on the range of work undertaken by the agency to increase recreational opportunities.
The Environment Agency is also leading on the development of strategic partnerships and alliances which include public, commercial and voluntary sectors to upgrade facilities on the agencies' navigable rivers which are backed by marketing and promotion initiatives.
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