Spectacles

HC Deb 24 November 1949 vol 470 cc500-3

5. Mr. David Renton

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that spectacles were ordered last April for the five-year old son of Mr. A. R. Wright, of 7, Old Court Hall, Godmanchester, Huntingdon; that the case is an urgent one; that the boy is still without his spectacles; and when he may expect to receive them.

Mr. Bevan

No, Sir. Inquiries made by my Department have failed to identify this case. While I cannot undertake to investigate every individual case, if the hon. Member will send me details about which I have written to him I will have further inquiries made.

Mr. Renton

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this a National Health Service case? I gave him as many particulars as I could and, bearing in mind that the child is severely handicapped in his education, will the right hon. Gentleman do his best to see that the child gets spectacles if I let him have the fullest information?

Mr. Bevan

I must have enough particulars to enable me to identify the case.

7. Mr. John E. Haire

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the General Optical Company, Clerkenwell Road, has still not delivered spectacle lenses ordered by the National Health Service last January and February; and if he will take steps to see that no more orders are placed with this firm until it has greatly reduced the delay.

Mr. Bevan

I am aware that most prescription manufacturers have heavy arrears of orders for spectacles but I have no power to direct opticians to withhold orders from particular firms.

Mr. Haire

Has this firm not proved its total inefficiency by accepting far more orders than it could cope with? As a result, many unfortunate people have had to wait for nine months, including among them my own mother-in-law.

Mr. Bevan

I am sure the whole House sympathises with my hon. Friend in his domestic infelicity. We are trying to get these cases sorted out so as to prevent delays in any particular instance.

Mr. Bramall

Could my right hon. Friend say what progress is being made in the discussions with the trade which he said were taking place in this connection when he replied to a Question which I asked?

Mr. Bevan

Some progress is being made, but hon. Members will appreciate that this is an extremely complex matter. We are dealing with many thousands of private opticians who have relations of their own with firms and it is not an easy matter to iron out.

12. Sir David Robertson

asked the Minister of Health the reason for the continued delay in supplying spectacles to Fiona and Morag Duncan, schoolchildren in Streatham, of whom particulars have been supplied to him, whose health is suffering because they are compelled to use spectacles which are no longer suitable.

Mr. Bevan

Delay in supply is due to heavy demand, and I cannot undertake to investigate every individual case. I understand, however, that in this case the opticians have now promised to get the glasses through as quickly as possible.

Sir D. Robertson

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that these children have been waiting nearly a year for their spectacles and does he also realise, from correspondence I have passed to him, that the children are ill? Does he further realise that his Parliamentary Secretary told me two-and-a-half months ago that all the parents had to do was to keep in touch with the optician? They have done that ever since and the situation really is thoroughly unsatisfactory.

Mr. Bevan

I think the priority system for spectacles can be operated only by the optician. There is no way at all of doing it through central machinery. I have urged the opticians to give first consideration to sick people and schoolchildren.

23. Mr. Sutcliffe

asked the Minister of Health what is now the present average length of time between the order and delivery of a pair of spectacles.

Mr. Bevan

The position is approximately the same as on 20th October last, and I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave on this subject on that date.

Mr. Sutcliffe

Does the right hon. Gentleman fully realise the seriousness of this position, that there are, for instance, considerable numbers of schoolchildren, normally intelligent children who attend school every day, who are yet unable to read or write because they have no spectacles, and whose whole future is thus seriously prejudiced? When shall we have some improvement in the length of time?

Mr. Bevan

I have already informed the House that an improvement is already taking place, and the supply now is very much in excess of demand.

Brigadier Prior-Palmer

Is it the fact that the delay is due to the inadequate import of lenses from abroad? Is that the bottleneck?

Mr. Bevan

No. We have imported a large number of lenses from abroad to deal with arrears, and before very long our own production will be adequate.