§ 5. Mr. Blenkinsopasked the Minister of Health what progress has been made toward introducing a system of area averages of prescribing costs against which individual doctors could check their own figures.
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithMy right hon. Friend is considering what arrangements can be made when arrears of pricing are cleared.
§ Mr. BlenkinsopCan the hon. Lady give the possible date by which any scheme of this sort could be thought of again, in view of the great desirability of getting an automatic check, if possible, on prescribing costs?
§ Miss Hornsby-SmithThe hon. Member, from his own experience, will know that the first problem is to clear the arrears and that any new arrangement would have to be done after consultation with the chemists. It is unlikely, however, that the big problem of clearing arrears, will be concluded in under a year.