Written question asked by Simon Hughes (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 3 March 1997. It was answered by Gerald Malone (Conservative) on Monday, 3 March 1997 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: What estimate he has made of the number of people who have had eye tests in each year since 1987. - Includes estimates.

Answer: Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people who have had eye tests in each year since 1987. [17683] Mr. Malone: No information is held on the number of individual patients who receive sight tests. The estimated number of national health service and private sight tests is shown in the table. Because the information on private sight tests is from a sample survey of activity across Great Britain, the figures are for Great Britain only. Millions _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Year NHS sight tests Private sight tests Total 1986-87 12.2 {1}-- -- 1987-88 13.5 {1}-- -- 1988-89 14.4 {1}-- -- 1989-90 6.4 {1}-- -- 1990-91 4.8 {1}-- -- 1991-92 5.7 {1}-- -- 1992-93 6.4 {1}-- -- 1993-94 6.6 6.6 13.2 1994-95 7.4 6.5 13.9 1995-96 7.6 7.0 14.6 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Information on the number of private sight tests carried out before 1992-93 is not available.

Secondary information