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Dr. Strang
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list for each year from 1976 to the latest available date, the numbers of babies born in Northern Ireland with (a) no eyes, (b) small eyes, (c) damaged optic nerves and (d) all recorded eye defects; and if he will estimate the comprehensiveness of the recorded information.
Mr. Ancram
[holding answer 15 June 1993]: The information is not collated centrally in the form requested. During the years 1980 to 1988, five babies were born in Northern Ireland with no eyes, 47 with small eyes and 28 with cataract. The number of babies born with eye defects between 1976 and 1981 were as follows:
| No eyes or small eyes | Other eye defects | |
| 1976 | 2 | 2 |
| 1977 | 2 | 1 |
| 1978 | 2 | 3 |
| 1979 | 12 | 22 |
| 1980 | 12 | 29 |
| 1981 | 12 | 19 |