§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply of 1 December, Official Report, column 616, which surveys provided the figures for the incidence of glaucoma in the total population; and if he will give the separate figures for glaucoma in those aged over 40 years for each of the surveys.
§ Mr. John PattenThe figure of 1 per cent. for the total population was derived from material supplied by the International Glaucoma Association. The other figures were quoted in a leading article inThe Lancet on 27 August 1977. I am sending a copy of this article, which gives references to a number of individual surveys, to the right hon. Member. Study of the incidence of glaucoma has mostly been concentrated on those over 40, since the condition is uncommon in younger people.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply of 1 December, Official Report, column 616, whether his Department commissioned or carried our a cost-effectiveness study of glaucoma screening; what costs were considered; what was the involvement of the faculty of ophthalmologists; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenWe have not commissioned nor carried out such a study. We keep in close touch with the Faculty of Ophtalmologists whose present view, as stated in my reply to the right hon. Member's earlier question, is that screening of the population at large would not be cost-effective.
574W
Level of disregard needed at November 1984 on the basis of the assumptions in the question to give same real value as at date fixed* Present level of disregard Date fixed at present level Level of disregard needed at November 1984 £ £ Capital: for weekly benefit 3,000 November 1983 3,150 for single payments 500 November 1983 525 for single payments for voluntary repatriation 50 November 1975 124.48 surrender value of life insurance policies 1,500 November 1983 1,575 Earnings: unemployed claimants 4 November 1980 5.24 single parents 4 plus half earnings from 4 to 20 November 1980 26.19 others 4 November 1975 9.96 Miscellaneous income (war and industrial pensions, charitable payments, etc.) 4 November 1975 9.96 Occasional gifts 100 November 1982 110.09 Educational maintenance allowances: children at school 7.50 September 1979 11.55 young people at college 9.50 September 1979 14.62 Student grants/where student is a single parent or is disabled or is the partner of the claimant and has a dependent child 2 September 1976 4.47 * Measured by retail prices index to November 1983 and by assumed 5 per cent, increase in retail prices November 1983-November 1984.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply of 1 December, Official Report, column 617, what is the average annual cost to the National Health Service of operations for glaucoma.
§ Mr. John PattenI regret that this information is not available.