§ 38. Mr. G. Jegerasked the Minister of Health whether he will supply safety-glass spectacles to all industrial workers who have only one eye under the National Health Service without extra charge.
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithThese and other special glasses are available without extra charge through the hospital eye service where there is a special medical reason for providing them. My right hon. Friend has no evidence of increased risk of injury to the eye solely from lens splinters which would justify provision of these lenses on occupational grounds.
§ Mr. JegerIs the hon. Lady not aware that many of these workers are partially disabled through the loss of one eye and, consequently, earn less than the normal wage and are not able to afford this more expensive type of spectacles at the normal charge? If they are able to get them only with a medical certificate and the remaining eye is quite good, they will not get a medical certificate and will have to pay the full price for these safety spectacles.
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithUnsplinterable or plastic lenses are also available at the patient's choice under the Supplementary Ophthalmic Service at a charge of about 12s. a lens in addition to the normal charge of 10s. Cases in which damage to the eye arises from splintering of the spectacle lens alone are practically unknown.
Sir I. Orr-EwingAs one who has only one eye, may I assure the hon. Lady that although industrial earnings may not suffer, the industrial worker feels bound to give considerably more protection to the one eye remaining than a man would normally give to both his eyes?