§ Mr. Will Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will state the amount spent on the general optical service in each year since the introduction of the National Health Service; and whether he will show this as a percentage of the gross national product.
§ Dr. John DunwoodyThe following is the information:
Yearly gross expenditure on the general ophthalmic services in Great Britain Proportion of gross national product £m. Per cent. 1949–50 … 24.1 0.21 1950–51 … 21.9 0.18 1951–52 … 12.1 0.09 1952–53 … 11.0 0.08 1953–54 … 12.5 0.08 1954–55 … 13.5 0.08 1955–56 … 14.5 0.08 1956–57 … 15.1 00.8 1957–58 … 15.6 0.08 1958–59 … 15.4 0.08 1959–60 … 16.9 0.08 1960–61 … 17.4 0.07 1961–62 … 16.8 0.07 1962–63 … 16.8 0.07 1963–64 … 18.5 0.07 1964–65 … 19.2 0.06 1965–66 … 21.2 0.07 1966–67 … 22.0 0.07 1967–68 … 23.1 0.07 1968–69 (Estimated) … 25.1 0.07