§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Health to state separately the amount spent in the National Health Service on ophthalmic services for sight testing and for supply and repair of glasses and the amount of remuneration of services during the financial years 1948–49 and 1949–50.
§ Mr. BevanThe total payments to opticians and Medical practitioners for supplementary Ophthalmic Services in England and Wales were:
1948–49 1949–50 £000 £000 1. Sight testing (Medical Practitioners and Ophthalmic opticians) 4.298 4.736 2. Supply and repair of glasses (Ophthalmic and dispensing opticians) 6.863 16.998 The amounts in item I represent gross professional fees out of which practice expenses and overheads have to be met.
Separate figures of the dispensing fees included in item 2 are not available. It is estimated that the actual cost to opticians of the glasses supplied represents rather less than half the total 273W amount, the balance being gross remuneration out of which overhead expenses have to be met.