Spectacle Frames

HC Deb 09 June 1969 vol 784 cc190-1W

Mr. Hunt

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will list the different types of spectacle frames available under the National Health Service, stating the date of the original design for each type specified and indicating the total demand for each type of spectacle frame for each of the past five years.

Mr. Snow

The following table shows the number of frames supplied annually and the estimated proportion of each type, supplied over the five-year period.

The specifications for the C.525 frame date from 1950, for the half-eye frames 721, 722, 814, 824 from 1955 and for the children's C.127 and C.227 from 1963. The remainder date, with some modifications, from 1948.

SPECTACLE FRAMES AVAILABLE THROUGH THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE
(a) Total number of frames provided
				1964	1965	1966	1967	1968
Children's Standard Frames	…	86,289	69,243	61,158	59,157	52,501
Frames other than Children's Standard Frames	…	…	1,495,515	1,465,161	1,439,418	1,487,709	1,470,577
TOTAL	…	…	…	1,581,804	1,534,404	1,500,576	1,546,866	1,523,078

(b) Estimated proportions of particular types of frames provided
1. Children's Standard Frames
										Percentage
C.127	Plain nickel, pad bridge	loopend sides	…	…	…	…	0.9
C.227	Nickel Windsor, pad bridge
Nickel Windsor
C.223	Pad bridge, curl sides	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	74.8
C.253	Pad bridge, additional bridge bar, curl sides	…	…	…	…	24.3
	TOTAL	…	…	…	…	…	…	100

2. Frames other than Children's Standard Frames
										Percentage
Nickel Windsor
221	Pad bridge, curl sides	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	0.76
Plain gold-filled
321	Pad bridge, curl sides	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	0.17
721	Half-eye, pad bridge, curl sides	…	…	…	…	…	…	0.06
722	Half-eye, pad bridge, hockey-end sides	…	…	…	…	…	0.22
Gold-filled Windsor
421	Pad bridge, curl sides	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	0.17
422	Pad bridge, hockey-end sides	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	0.24
423	Pad bridge, curl sides	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	1.53
Plastics (cellulose acetate)
514	Regular bridge, hockey-end sides	…	…	…	…	…	…	3.14
515	Regular bridge, curl sides	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	0.19
524	Pad bridge, hockey-end sides	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	90.32
525	Pad bridge, curl sides	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	1.23
614	Saddle, flush or inset bridge, hockey-end sides	…	…	…	…	0.77
615	Saddle, flush or inset bridge, curl sides	…	…	…	…	…	0.11
C.525	Strong pad bridge, curl sides	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	0.96
814	Half-eye, regular bridge, hockey-end sides	…	…	…	…	…	0.10
824	Half-eye, pad bridge, hockey-end sides	…	…	…	…	…	0.03
	TOTAL	…	…	…	…	…	…	100