§ 9. Mr. WILLIAM THORNEasked the hon. Member for St. George's-in-the-East whether medical benefit to insured persons includes the provision of proprietary tonic foods; whether in certain conditions of ill-health drugs are of little value and that effective treatment can often be given with suitable concentrated food; and if he will allow medical practitioners at their discretion to prescribe on the lines indicated?
Mr. BENNInsured persons are entitled to proper and sufficient medicines as part of their medical benefit; and the question whether any particular compound or preparation is included within that category falls to be decided in the first instance by the insurance committee on the circumstances of the individual case.