§ Mr. TylerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will issue advice to the residents in the areas from which the solar eclipse can be witnessed on the precautions to be taken when viewing it, to avoid damage to their sight. [87312]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 18 June 1999]We have supported the optical professions in producing a leaflet "Observing Solar Eclipses—Taking care of your sight", which will be distributed to tourist information centres, libraries, optical practices and other locations places to which the public have ready access. A summarised version of the leaflet has already been made available to general practitioners and we will shortly be sending the same information to schools with details of how copies of the leaflet may be obtained.
We are collaborating with the press and other media in further publicising advice on how to view the sun safely and have let them know that they are free to reproduce the contents of the leaflet.
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§ Mr. DuncanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations he has received regarding possible dangers to sight that may be caused by the August solar eclipse; [87469]
- (2) if he will publish details on how Government information regarding eclipse safety can be accessed on the Internet; [87479]
- (3) what consultations he has had with (a) broadcasters and (b) newspapers regarding publicising the dangers to ocular health of the solar eclipse; [87482]
- (4) what discussions he has had with the Department for Education and Employment regarding informing pupils of the dangers of the August solar eclipse before the end of the school year; [87470]
- (5) what advice he has issued to family doctors and other Health Service personnel regarding the treatment of injuries caused as a result of the solar eclipse; [87471]
- (6) what advice he is planning to issue to parents regarding the dangers of the solar eclipse; [87472]
- (7) what plans he has to encourage the use of indirect pinhole projectors by children wishing to observe the solar eclipse; [87473]
- (8) what advice he intends to issue regarding the safety of solar viewers whose safety has not been authorised by optical bodies; [87474]
- (9) what plans he has to advise users about the safety of solar filters or spectacles; [87480]
- (10) what plans he has to warn people about the dangers of viewing the solar eclipse through binocular projection; [87475]
- (11) what public advertising campaigns he intends to commission on the dangers of the solar eclipse; [87476]
- (12) what advice he has been given regarding damage to the retina caused by the solar eclipse; and what plans he has to publicise the fact that retina damage occurs in a painless manner. [87478]
§ Mr. DenhamThe Royal College of Ophthalmologists, the College of Optometrists and the Royal National Institute for the Blind were among the first bodies to advise us of the need for guidance on viewing the eclipse. We agreed to help them with the production and distribution of a leaflet, "Observing Solar Eclipses—Taking care of your sight", which is published on 23 June for distribution to tourist information centres, libraries, optical practices and other places to which the public have ready access.
In summary, the leaflet warns that looking directly at the sun is very dangerous. The radiation could permanently damage the eye. The safest way to view the eclipse is indirectly with, for example, a pinhole projection viewer. If people ignore this advice and decide to use a solar filter or a pair of eclipse spectacles, they do so at their own risk. They would be well advised to buy the device from a reputable outlet and ensure that it had a CE mark to show it had been approved under the Personal Protective Equipment Directive and also ensure that it came with full instructions for use, that it fitted closely to the face and that the lenses were not scratched or 292W damaged. Even with covers for the eyepiece, binoculars and telescopes are dangerous because they can still expose the eye to excessive radiation.
We have arranged with the Department for Education and Employment for a summary of the advice to be included in the July edition of the "Spectrum" journal, which is sent to all heads of schools and chairs of governors. A summarised version of the leaflet has already been made available to all general practitioners and hospital doctors.
The College of Optometrists will publish the leaflet on their web site: www.College-optometrists.org and see that reference to it is included in the main Internet indexes.
We recognise that the media have a key role in educating the public on the risks to sight from the sun and we are collaborating on a series of news items in the period up to 11 August.
§ Mr. DuncanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the August solar eclipse will be visible in each county in the UK; and what plans he has to publicise this information more widely. [87477]
§ Mr. DenhamThe Royal Greenwich Observatory has, by way of illustration, calculated the percentage of eclipse as follows: Cornwall and Devon 100 per cent., London 95 per cent., Manchester 90 per cent., Newcastle 85 per cent., Dundee 80 per cent., Western Isles 75 per cent., West Orkneys 70 per cent. The leaflet which the optical professions are producing notes the variable effect, but the risks from viewing the sun directly are the same whatever degree of partial eclipse.
§ Mr. DuncanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of consultant eye surgeons who will be(a) on duty and (b) on call during the day of the August solar eclipse. [87481]
§ Mr. DenhamThe information requested is not available centrally, but I am confident that the contingency planning undertaken by health authorities and National Health Service trusts will ensure that hospital eye departments are appropriately staffed on 11 August. However, it would be misleading to give any impression that radiation damage to the eye is treatable. In most cases there is some recovery of sight in the months which follow the injury but, if visual acuity is permanently affected, the only help available is through the prescription of an optical appliance.