§ 88. Mr. Swinglerasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the opinion of qualified oculists that the use of contact lenses justifies a lowering of the required standard of unaided vision for clerical and executive posts in the Civil Service, he will issue instructions that the wearing of such lenses is not to be regarded as an automatic disqualification for applicants for posts in the Board of Customs and Excise.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI presume that the hon. Member has in mind posts in the Departmental grade of officer of 73W Customs and Excise, for which grade I am satisfied that a certain minimum standard of unaided eyesight is necessary because of the nature of the duties performed. In these circumstances it is failure to reach this standard which disqualifies, not the use of a particular type of correction to normal.