§ Mr. Grovesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland why the fund for medical attention to evacuees is to be administered by the British Medical Association from their headquarters in London; and why the whole arrangements, including the administration of finance, are not carried out by his Department or by local authorities?
§ Mr. E. BrownThe fund in question in relation to Scotland is administered from Edinburgh by the Scottish Central Medical War Committee. I have no reason to think that this arrangement is not working satisfactorily.
§ Mr. Grovesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps were taken to 1157W consult the Scottish medical profession with regard to payment of the sum of 10s. for domiciliary medical attendance upon each unaccompanied evacuated child; what services have to be rendered by medical practitioners for such amount; for what period of time; and does the fee include mileage expenses?
§ Mr. BrownThe payment in question of 10s. per child per annum was agreed with the Scottish Branch of the British Medical Association and is intended to cover such medical attention as is ordinarily given by general medical practitioners, including the supply of such medicines and dressings as are usually provided under the National Health Insurance Act. This sum was fixed as an appropriate overall rate of payment, but the British Medical Association have recently been informed, in reply to representations made by them, that I shall be prepared to consider making an additional payment in respect of mileage in particular areas if it can be shown that in a substantial proportion of cases a large amount of travelling is necessarily involved.