Written question asked by Paul Burstow (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 18 January 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 8 February 2005. It was answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 February 2005 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect the introduction of charges for (a) eye tests and (b) dental check-ups had on demand for these services. - Including figures. (Holding answer 24 January 2005).

Answer: Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effect the introduction of charges for (a) eye tests and (b) dental check-ups had on demand for these services. [210365] Ms Rosie Winterton: [holding answer 24 January 2005]: In 1989, charges were introduced for dental examinations and eligibility for national health service sight tests was restricted to children, people suffering from or predisposed to eye disease and people on low incomes. Over the period 1988 to 1990, the number of dental examinations in England fell from 20 million to 19 million per annum and the number of NHS sight tests from 12 million to 5 million per annum. Following our decision in 1999 to restore eligibility for free NHS sight tests to people aged 60, nearly 10 million NHS sight tests are now carried out annually in England.

Secondary information