MP Gerry Steinberg is urging the Government to deliver on its promise to test all newborn babies for deafness.

The Durham City MP wants Health Minister Yvette Cooper to announce a firm timetable for making the test and follow-up support accessible to all of the city's newborn and their parents.

The Government has introduced a pilot testing scheme, known as Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening, but this is limited to 20 NHS health authorities.

Mr Steinberg is backing The Royal National Institute for the Deaf's (RNID) campaign to make it available throughout the country.

He said: "I want all newborn babies in City of Durham to benefit from this test - not just a few lucky enough to be born in the limited number of health authorities participating in the pilot scheme.

"Only once a timetable is crystal clear can health and education authorities start working together to provide deaf children identified by the screen with appropriate follow-up support."

The test is carried out within 48 hours of birth and allows deafness to be identified much earlier than at present, which can be up to 42 months.

RNID director of communications Brian Lamb said: "Early identification combined with specialist support has the power to change the lives and revolutionise the life chances of future generations of deaf children."