§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will publish the latest figures available showing(a) the average charge for private sight tests and (b) the uptake of private sight tests by the over-60s since restrictions on NHS tests were introduced;
(2) if she will conduct a survey to find out the total number of private sight tests carried out for each year since restrictions on national health service tests were introduced; and if she will make a statement.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe Department collects information on national health service sight tests only. Other sight tests are private transactions. The optical profession conducts regular surveys on the total number of sight tests, both national health service and private. Their findings indicate that the number of sight tests has returned to 1987 levels—the last typical year before changes in the sight-testing arrangements were announced.