Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.-(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 1989(2).

Amendment of regulation 1 of the principal Regulations

2. 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 1995(3);".

Amendment of regulation 8 of the principal Regulations

3.-(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 1995(5) in the case of paragraph (3)(j).".

Explanatory Note

(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.