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Mr. Llwyd
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many eye examinations were carried out in England in each year since 1985.
Dr. Mawhinney
The numbers of national health service sight tests paid for in each financial year in England are shown in the table. The number of private sight tests carried out since the introduction of sight test charges is not available.
| Numbers of children in the care of and fostered by local authorities and numbers of adoption orders made 1979 to 1991 | ||||||
| Children in care, England at 31 March | Adoption orders made1 in England and Wales | |||||
| Children in care2 | Fostered3 | |||||
| Year | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female |
| 1979 | 56,459 | 38,629 | 17,609 | 16,587 | 5,593 | 5,277 |
| 1980 | 56,144 | 39,153 | 18,187 | 17,054 | 5,428 | 5,181 |
| 1981 | 54,459 | 37,811 | 18,659 | 17,090 | 4,799 | 4,485 |
| 1982 | 52,083 | 36,580 | 19,302 | 17,574 | 5,305 | 4,935 |
| 1983 | 48,072 | 34,093 | 19,203 | 17,321 | 4,640 | 4,389 |
| 1984 | 43,513 | 31,332 | 19,032 | 17,059 | 4,437 | 4,211 |
| 1985 | 39,985 | 29,565 | 18,421 | 16,589 | 3,856 | 3,587 |
| 1986 | 38,139 | 29,187 | 18,385 | 16,731 | 4,042 | 3,634 |
| 1987 | 36,518 | 29,250 | 18,137 | 16,903 | 3,545 | 3,505 |
| 1988 | 35,259 | 29,093 | 18,108 | 16,818 | 3,675 | 3,513 |
| Year | Millions |
| 1984–85 | 9·89 |
| 1985–86 | 10·25 |
| 1986–87 | 10·62 |
| 1987–88 | 11·70 |
| 1988–89 | 12·49 |
| 1989–90 Old scheme | 1·63 |
| New scheme1 | 3–65 |
| 1990–91 | 4·15 |
| 1991–92 | 4–98 |
| 1 From 1 April 1989 NHS sight tests were restricted to certain groups in the population. The sight tests paid for in 1989–90 include some conducted prior to 1 April 1989 (old scheme) when sight tests were universally available. The remainder paid for in 1989–90 do not represent a full year under the new system, because of the delay in payments. The figure for 1989–90 is not, therefore directly comparable with that for 1990–91. | |