§ Ms PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 15 June,Official Report, columns 589–90, what estimates of the total number of NHS and private sight tests have been made for each of the last five financial years; and what estimates of the total number of NHS and private sight tests for 1993–94 have been made by the technical sub-committee of the Department of Health and the ophthalmic profession.
§ Dr. Mawhinney[holding answer 29 June 1994]: (a) The number of National Health Service sight tests paid for in the last five financial years for which figures are available in Great Britain are shown in the table.
Number of NHS sight tests paid for by financial year Great Britain (millions 11989–90 6.0 11990–91 4.8 1991–92 5.8 1992–93 6.4 21993–94 6.9 1From 1 April 1989, NHS sight tests were restricted to certain eligible groups in the population. The figures for 1989–90 included 1.82 million sight tests paid for in 1989–90 but conducted in 1988–89 under the previous scheme. The remaining 4.22 million were conducted and paid for in 1989–90, which does not constitute a full twelve months of the new scheme. The figures for 1990–91, which do represent twelve months under the new scheme, are not therefore directly comparable with those for 1989–90. 2This figure is provisional. (b) From the survey carried out on behalf of the technical sub-committee, it was estimated that the total number of sight tests performed in Great Britain in 1993–94 would be 6.594 million NHS and 6.589 million private.