§ Mr. Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will take steps to seek to reduce the delay between the prescribing of spectacles for children and their supply.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe Department is aware of occasional delays in the supply of National Health Service frames. This arises from the changes in the scope of the general ophthalmic services introduced on 1 April causing manufacturers to switch much of their manufacturing from National Health Service frames to the production of frames for the expanded private market. The industry is nevertheless co-operating with the Department in maintaining its services for National Health Service patients.