The National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Amendment (No.2) Regulations 1996

Made9th September 1996

Laid before Parliament12th September 1996

Coming into force7th October 1996

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 105(7) and 108(1) of, and paragraph 2A of Schedule 11 to, the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 19781 and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation1

1

These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Amendment (No.2) Regulations 1996 and shall come into force on 7th October 1996.

2

In these Regulations, “the principal Regulations” means the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 19892.

Amendment of regulation 1 of the principal Regulations2

In regulation 1(2) of the principal Regulations (interpretation), after the definition of “family credit” add–

“income-based jobseeker’s allowance” has the meaning given to it by section 1(4) of the Jobseekers Act 19953;

Amendment of regulation 8 of the principal Regulations3

1

Regulation 8 of the principal Regulations (eligibility - supply of optical appliances)4 is amended as follows.

2

In paragraph (3)–

a

in sub-paragraph (g), omit the words from “and his” to the end; and

b

after sub-paragraph (h), add–

i
he is in receipt of an income-based jobseeker’s allowance; or
j
he is a member of the same family as a person described in sub-paragraph (i) of this paragraph.

3

In paragraph (4), after sub-paragraph (c) add–

and has the meaning given to it by section 35 of the Jobseekers Act 19955 in the case of paragraph (3)(j).

LindsayParliamentary Under Secretary of State, Scottish OfficeSt Andrew’s House,Edinburgh9th September 1996

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) (Scotland) Regulations 1989 (“the principal 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 1 of the principal Regulations in order to include a definition of an income-based jobseeker’s allowance.

Regulation 3(2)(a) of these Regulations removes the capital restriction relating to disability working allowance so that everyone in receipt of this, and certain of their relatives, will be eligible for payments towards the cost of optical appliances.

Regulation 3(2)(b) and (3) of these Regulations extends the categories of eligibility for payments towards the costs of optical appliances to include people in receipt of an income-based jobseeker’s allowance, and also certain relatives of such people.