These Regulations amend the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 1986 (1986/975) (“the 1986 Regulations”), the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) Regulations 1997 (1997/818) (“the 1997 Regulations”) and the National Health Service (Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges) (Wales) Regulations 2007 (2007/1104 (W. 116)) (“the 2007 Regulations”).

Regulation 3 amends the 1986 Regulations to extend the time period recipients of universal credit are eligible to receive free sight tests to March 2017.

Regulation 4 amends the 1997 Regulations to extend the time period recipients of universal credit are eligible to receive a payment to meet, or to contribute towards the costs of optical appliances to March 2017.

Regulation 5 amends the 2007 Regulations to extend the time period recipients of universal credit are entitled to payment in full of NHS travelling expenses and the full remission of an NHS charge to March 2017.

These Regulations revoke the National Health Service (Welfare Reform Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2015 (2015/631 (W. 51)).

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result it was not considered necessary to carry out a regulatory impact assessment as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations.