§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what special provisions he intends to make to reduce the cost of spectacles for cataract sufferers who require high powered complex lenses.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe Government's policy of encouraging great competition and choice has produced lower prices across the whole range of private spectacles.
However, fears were expressed at the time of the ending of the opticians former monopoly that the cost of more powerful or complex lenses might rise. We did not accept these forecasts, but, as a form of reassurance to cataract sufferers and others who require certain of the more powerful or complex lenses currently supplied through the general ophthalmic services and who do not qualify for full or partial remission of charges, we intend to make special provisions to give them the option of obtaining them through the GOS at charges which reflect the cost of the lenses and their dispensing. We are consulting interested bodies on this and other proposed arrangements for future general ophthalmic services.