BURY'S pioneering library services for the deaf have been trumpeted in Parliament as the model for others to follow.

The borough's hearing impairment unit, the first of its kind in Britain, came in for special praise during a meeting to map out services in the 21st century.

Its example was highlighted by members of the British Deaf Association (BDA) to the House of Commons' culture, media and sport select committee.

The BDA said Bury, along with Gateshead, had "developed extremely valuable services to their deaf communities" by funding schemes specifically designed for the hard of hearing.

Councillor Siobhan Costello, arts and culture spokesman, said that 30,000 Bury people had hearing problems, which prompted the council to set up the hearing impairment unit two years ago.

The unit boasts qualified staff with sign language skills, sub-titled videos and CD-ROMs, word processing and Internet facilities. It has a TV with closed caption video reader, Teletext, induction loop and a uniphone. Coun Costello added: "It is nice to know that the work we are doing in Bury is being recognised nationally, and hopefully similar schemes will be established across the country."

In its evidence to the committee, the BDA concluded: "We believe that these schemes constitute excellent models for other libraries to follow.

"Not only have they improved access to existing library provision for their local deaf communities, they are making a significant contribution in combating the social exclusion of deaf people. We hope that the Government will promote such models in future."