Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the recommendation on the NHS Choices website that all children are offered vision screening between the ages of four and five by an orthoptist-led service, if he will introduce a national vision screening programme for children.

The UK National Screening Committee recommends that all children between 4 - 5 years of age should continue to be screened for vision defects by an orthoptist led service.

This service is already offered nationally as part of the NHS Healthy Child Programme.