HC Deb 11 January 1988 vol 125 c181W
Mr. Wareing

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many letters he has received supporting his proposal to introduce charges for(a) dental examinations and (b) the eyesight test.

Mr. Newton

About 900 representations have been received on the proposals to restrict the NHS sight test to certain groups and to introduce a charge for the NHS dental examination, subject to numerous exemptions in line with those for other dental charges. They are generally opposed to the proposals, but do not appear to oppose also the substantially increased expenditure on family practitioner services, including the many improvements proposed in the White Paper "Promoting Better Health", which the dental and sight test proposals will help to finance.