§ Adam PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional investment is planned for(a) prevention, (b) detection and (c) rehabilitation of sight loss. [79761]
§ Jacqui SmithThe National Health Service is receiving unprecedented growth for investment across health services. We have set a new target for the NHS to improve diabetic retinopathy screening. We have also invested £20 million to modernise cataract services. Furthermore, free NHS sight tests for everyone aged 60 and over were reintroduced from April 1999, at an annual cost of £50 million.
The Department is also contributing a grant of more than £120,000 over three years to a group of voluntary organisations to set up local low vision services committees. These bring together the NHS, social services, opticians and voluntary organisations to promote best practice and improve co-ordination in the commissioning and delivery of services for the blind and partially sighted.
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§ Adam PriceTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in each of the nations of the UK have a sight problem. [79762]
§ Jacqui SmithThe information shown in the table relates to the number of people registered blind and partially sighted.
Number of people registered as blind and partially sighted No. registered blind No. registered partially sighted As at 31 March 2000 England 158,000 149,000 Scotland 24,839 13,287 As at 31 March 2001 Wales 9,902 9,905 This information is not currently collected in Northern Ireland.