Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the quality of service provided by optometrists; and what plans they have to review regulations regarding the provision of such services online and on the high street.

Optometrists in England are regulated by the General Optical Council (GOC). The GOC also regulates some optical businesses. We are aware that as part of the GOC’s current Strategic Plan, they are undertaking a project to consider reform of business regulation. The aim is to offer more consistency of regulation of businesses, both online and on the high street, across the United Kingdom and greater control of the quality of optical care delivered in the UK, which may lead to a request for legislative reform.