§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children aged under 16 years received free eye tests in England(a) in each quarter in 1988–89 and (b) in each quarter in 1989–90.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyStatistics prior to 1 April 1989 were not broken down by patient group. Since then, family practitioner committees have collected data on sight tests paid for under the general ophthalmic services on a six-monthly basis. A total of 752,130 or 8 per cent. of children in England received sight tests paid for under the new regulations. A further 1,624,220 sight tests were also paid for in the period but conducted prior to 1 April 1989; an unknown proportion of these would have been for children.