Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for providing hearing aids free at the point of delivery to people with mild to moderate hearing loss.

The Government has not undertaken any assessments of this kind. Local commissioners are responsible for commissioning the provision of hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss, based on the needs of their local population. In doing so, they will take into consideration assessments of local need and any relevant clinical guidance, which may include guidance from appropriate national bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.