Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Amendment Regulations 1993 and shall come into force on 1st April 1993.

(2) In these Regulations, “the principal Regulations” means the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1989(1).

Amendment of regulation 20 of the principal Regulations

2.  In regulation 20 of the principal Regulations (redemption value of voucher for replacement or repair)—

(a)in paragraph (1)(b), for “£35.90” there is substituted “£36.90”; and

(b)in paragraph (3), for “£9.00” there is substituted “£9.20”.

Amendment of Schedules to the principal Regulations

3.—(1) In Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations(2) (voucher letter codes and face values—supply and replacement), in column 3 (face value of voucher), for each amount specified in column 1 of the Table below there is substituted the amount specified in relation to it in column 2 of that Table.

TABLE

Column 1Column 2
Old AmountNew Amount
£ 23.70£ 24.40
£ 37.40£ 38.40
£ 51.00£ 52.40
£100.00£102.80
£ 41.00£ 42.10
£ 54.00£ 55.50
£ 65.00£ 66.80
£110.00 (in both places where it appears)£113.00
£ 35.90£ 36.90

(2) In Schedule 2 to the principle Regulations (prisms, tints, photochromic lenses, small and special glasses and complex appliances)—

(a)in paragraph 1(1)(a) (prism—single vision lens), for “£4.60” there is substituted “£4.70”;

(b)in paragraph 1(1)(b) (prism—other lens), for “£5.70” there is substituted “£5.90”;

(c)in paragraph 1(1)(c) (single vision tinted lens), for “£2.30” there is substituted “2.40”;

(d)in paragraph 1(1)(d) (other tinted lens), for “£2.85” there is substituted “£2.90”;

(e)in paragraph 1(1)(e) (small glasses)—

(i)in sub-head (i), for “£39.40” there is substituted “£40.50”,

(ii)in sub-head (ii), for “£35.00” there is substituted “£36.00”, and

(iii)in sub-head (iii), for “£18.90” there is substituted “£19.40”;

(f)in paragraph 1(1)(f) (photochromic lenses), for “£2.30” there is substituted “£2.40” and for “£2.85” there is substituted “£2.90”;

(g)in paragraph (1)(1)(g) (specially manufactured frames), for “£39.40” there is substituted “£40.50”;

(h)in paragraph 2(a) (minimum complex appliance payment—single vision lenses), for “£4.00” there is substituted “£4.10”; and

(i)in paragraph 2(b) (minimum complex appliance payment—other lenses), for “£21.60” there is substituted “£22.20”.

(3) For Schedule 3 to the principal Regulations (voucher values—repair)(3) there is substituted the Schedule 3 set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.

Application of these Regulations

4.  The amendments made by these Regulations apply only in relation to a voucher—

(a)accepted or used pursuant to regulation 12 or regulation 18 of the principal Regulations on or after 1st April 1993; or

(b)provided to a health authority pursuant to regulation 14(2)(c) of the principal Regulations in respect of cost incurred on or after that date.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Health.

Brian Mawhinney

Minister of State,

Department of Health

2nd March 1993