ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF THE BLIND OPEN YOUR EYES CAMPAIGN

Early day motion 1463, tabled 24 January 2006 by Kevin Barron (Labour). Signed by 122 members.

That this House congratulates the Royal National Institute of the Blind on the launch of its `Open Your Eyes' campaign; notes that if action is not taken now to prevent avoidable blindness the number of people with sight loss in the UK will double by 2030 to four million; therefore calls on Government to undertake a large scale public health campaign to raise awareness of the causes of avoidable blindness and the importance of regular eye tests in preventing eye disease, to implement improved patient referral pathways to speed early diagnosis and treatment of eye disease and ensure universal access to high quality low vision and rehabilitation services to promote independent living for people who lose their sight.

Signatures by party: Labour 67, Liberal Democrat 21, Conservative 19, DUP 6, Plaid Cymru 3, Scottish National Party 3, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Respect 1.