(1)The following section shall be inserted after section 20 of the [1958 c. 32.] Opticians Act 1958—
(1)Subject to the following provisions of this section, a person who is not a registered medical practitioner or registered optician shall not fit contact lenses.
(2)The foregoing subsection shall not apply to the fitting of contact lenses by a person recognised by a medical authority as a medical student, if carried out as part of a course of instruction approved by that authority for medical students or as part of an examination so approved.
(3)The General Optical Council may by rules exempt from subsection (1) of this section the fitting of contact lenses by persons training as opticians, or any prescribed class thereof, in such cases and subject to compliance with such conditions as may be prescribed by the rules.
(4)Rules under the last foregoing subsection shall not come into force until approved by order of the Privy Council, and the power to make any such order shall be exercisable by statutory instrument.
(5)Any person who contravenes subsection (1) of this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of an amount not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale, as defined in section 75 of the [1982 c. 48.] Criminal Justice Act 1982.”.
(2)The following subsections shall be inserted after section 25(3) of that Act—
“(3A)The General Optical Council may make rules specifying requirements which registered opticians, enrolled bodies corporate or employees of registered opticians or enrolled bodies corporate must meet if they are to prescribe, fit or supply contact lenses.
(3B)The power conferred by subsection (3A) above is a power—
(a)in relation to registered opticians or employees of registered opticians or of enrolled bodies corporate, to specify qualifications which they must have ; and
(b)in relation to enrolled bodies corporate, to specify conditions which they must satisfy.”.