Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of introducing a compulsory eyesight test for all children aged under 5 on the number of diagnoses of (a) Amblyopia and (b) other serious eye conditions in childhood.

No assessment has been made by the Department on whether introducing a compulsory eyesight test for children aged under five would have an effect on the number of diagnoses of Amblyopia and other serious eye conditions in childhood.

All babies have eye screening at birth and again at about six weeks of age by a general practitioner (GP) or health visitor.

In most parts of England, children are offered a screening test to look for reduced vision in one or both eyes during their first year at school.

In addition all children aged under 16 are eligible for free National Health Service sight tests and parents and carers are encouraged to raise any health concerns, including eye health concerns, with their GP.