§ Lord Orr-Ewingasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in the light of the evidence put forward by leading ophthalmic surgeons, they will now declare that presbyopia is not a "defect of sight" but occurs naturally as people age.
§ Baroness TrumpingtonWe are advised that presbyopia is a medical condition of the eye caused by a natural ageing process. Whether it is a defect of sight within the meaning of the Opticians Act 1958 is a matter for the courts to decide.