PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
ONE VISION-HEALTHY EYE CAMPAIGN (18 June 2002)

That this House welcomes the launch of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association's, One Vision - Healthy Eye campaign, which highlights the need for effective eye health care, what individuals can do to protect their own eyes, the role employers can play in protecting their employees' eye health and that regular eye health checks are an important way of detecting not just eye conditions, but a range of other health issues as well; notes the development by Guide Dogs and City University of a PC-based eye screening programme which can be used by any other computer operator and is being made available free of charge to businesses throughout the month of July; further notes that there is an increasing body of evidence which links ultraviolet radiation to the development of a number of potentially sight-threatening conditions, including cataract and ocular cancers, and that Guide Dogs urges all people who go out in the sun to protect their eyes with sunglasses which screen out ultraviolet radiation; welcomes the statements of support from eye health professionals and others; and calls on all honourable Members to make a note of 16th July in their diaries for 'shades for a day', annual event in which everyone is asked to wear their sunglasses for the day and in which half a million people have already agreed to take part, thereby raising awareness for the need to protect one's sight in the sun.

Sponsored by:
Mr David Heath (Liberal Democrat)