The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2006

Made: 4 July 2006

Coming into force: 5 July 2006

The National Assembly for Wales makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 126(4) of, and paragraph 2A of Schedule 12 to, the National Health Service Act 1977[^f00001].

Title, commencement, interpretation and application

1

• (1) The title of these Regulations is the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2006 which come into force on 5 July 2006.

• (2) These Regulations apply in relation to Wales.

• (3) In these Regulations “the Optical Regulations” means the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1997[^f00002].

Amendments to the Optical Regulations

2

In regulation 19 (redemption value of voucher for replacement or repair)—

• (a) in paragraph (1)(b), for “£48.00” substitute “£49.20”; and

• (b) in paragraph (3), for “£12.40” substitute “£12.70”.

Amendments to the Schedules to the Optical Regulations

3

• (1) In Schedule 1 to the Optical Regulations (voucher letter codes and face values-supply and replacement) in column (3) of the table (face value of voucher), for each amount specified in column (1) of the table below substitute the amount specified in relation to it in column (2) of the table below.

• (2) In Schedule 2 to the Optical Regulations (prisms, tints, photocromic lenses, small and special glasses and complex appliances)—

• (a) in paragraph 1(1)(a), for “£10.70” substitute “£11.00”;

• (b) in paragraph 1(1)(b), for “£12.80” substitute “£13.10”;

• (c) in paragraph 1(1)(c), for “£3.60” substitute “£3.70”;

• (d) in paragraph 1(1)(d), for “£4.10” substitute “£4.20”;

• (e) in paragraph 1(1)(e), for “£54.10”, “£48.00” and “£26.00” substitute “£55.50”, “£49.20” and “£26.60” respectively;

• (f) in paragraph 1(1)(g), for “£54.10” substitute “£55.50”;

• (g) in paragraph 2(a), for “£12.40” substitute “£12.70”; and

• (h) in paragraph 2(b), for “£31.30” substitute “£32.10”.

• (3) For Schedule 3 to the Optical Regulations (voucher values-repair), substitute the Schedule 3 set out in the Schedule to these Regulations.

Transitional Provision

4

The new amounts substituted by regulations 2 and 3 will apply only in relation to a voucher accepted or used pursuant to regulation 12 or regulation 17 of the Optical Regulations on or after 5 July 2006.

SCHEDULE 3 — Schedule 3 to the Optical Regulations as substituted by these Regulations

Signed

Signed on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales under section 66(1) of the Government of Wales Act 1998[^f00003]

D. Elis-Thomas — The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly — 4 July 2006

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1997 (“the Optical Regulations”) which provide for payments to be made by means of a voucher system in respect of costs incurred by certain categories of persons in connection with the supply, replacement and repair of optical appliances.

Regulation 2 amends regulation 19 to increase the redemption value of a voucher issued towards the cost of replacement of a single contact lens and to increase the maximum contribution by way of voucher to the cost of repair of a frame.

Regulation 3 and the Schedule amend the Schedules to the Optical Regulations to increase the value of vouchers issued towards the costs of the supply and replacement of glasses and contact lenses, to increase the additional values for vouchers for prisms, tints, photocromic lenses and special categories of appliances and to increase the value of vouchers issued towards the cost of the repair and replacement of optical appliances. The rate of increase in the value of vouchers in these Regulations is approximately 2.5%.

These Regulations do not impose a cost on business.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1977 c. 49.

[^f00002]: S.I. 1997/818, as amended.

[^f00003]: 1998 c. 38.