To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many relatives of glaucoma sufferers in each district health authority area of England received free eyesight tests in each quarter of 1988–89 and in each quarter of 1989–90.

Statistics 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. District health authorities do not collect such information. The table gives estimated numbers by patient group and regional health authority for the period in question:

NHS sight tests paid for during April-September 1989 Relatives of glaucoma sufferers
	Relatives over 40
Regional health authority
Northern	2,700
Yorkshire	3,950
Trent	9,260
East Anglia	3,900
North West Thames	3,500
North East Thames	5,190
South East Thames	4,150
South West Thames	4,800
Wessex	5,860
Oxford	3,250
South Western	4,950
West Midlands	5,650
Mersey	2,520
North Western	5,360

These figures are based on a 2 per cent. sample of NHS sight test application forms processed by family practitioner committees. They do not take into account sight tests paid for after 1 April 1989 but conducted before that period.