§ Mr. Craigenasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in view of complaints made by opticians about the lateness of the advice issued to health boards, he will examine the arrangements within his Department for advising opticians over the introduction of the new range of National Health Service spectacle frames for women.
§ Mr. John MacKayBecause of the general election, and because the professions were still making representations about the price of the new frame until 9 June, it was not possible to make the formal announcement of its introduction from 1 July earlier than 17 June. I recognise that opticians would have liked the usual detailed information about the frame well in advance, but the new frame is a very much needed improvement which it would have been undesirable to defer further.