§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will update the figures on the number of eye tests and dental examinations in the Nottingham health authority area, provided in his answer of 12 April 1988,Official Report, column 115.
§ Mr. MellorI assume that as before, the hon. Member is referring to eye tests which have been carried out under the general ophthalmic services and dental examinations under the general dental service. These are the responsibility of the family practitioner committee. The table gives the latest figures available for Nottingham family practitioner committee which includes the area covered by Nottingham health authority.
Nottingham Family Practitioner Committee Year Number of eye tests1 Number of dental examinations 1979 n.a 500,900 1980 n.a 538,660 1981 n.a 570,690 1982 n.a 591,490 1983 180,578 591,810 1984 195,150 618,580 1985 199,724 635,560 1986 206,524 2652,660 1987 221,955 2651,480 1988 3254,825 n.a 1 Information is not available on eye tests before 1983. 2 The Dental Estimates Board altered its collection of statistics from calendar year to financial year as from 1986–87 and these figures relate to the financial years 1986–87 and 1987–88 respectively. 3 The Ophthalmic Section of the Department of Health's Statistics and Management Information Division altered its collection of statistics from calendar year to financial year as from 1988–89 and this figure relates to the financial year 1988–89.