HC Deb 10 December 1956 vol 562 cc11-2
9. Mrs. L. Jeger

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will publish the scales by which the National Assistance Board has to determine eligibility for refund of prescription charges.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

The scales are those set out in the current National Assistance Regulations.

Mrs. Jeger

Could the Minister take any steps to make the main outline of the scales more widely known to people who feel that they are just above the borderline of these prescription charges? Could he issue a more popular form of leaflet?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

My impression is that the leaflet setting out the scales is pretty clear and pretty well known. I will certainly look into the hon. Lady's proposal.

18. Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will make vouchers available to recipients of National Assistance so as to obviate the need for refunding to them the cost of prescriptions.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

I am informed by the National Assistance Board that this proposal was, on consideration, not regarded as practicable.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that many hundreds of people just cannot afford to lay out the few shillings involved? To some of them, it will mean leaving their prescriptions until the day on which they draw their weekly amounts? Is it not possible to have vouchers available at post offices or surgeries on which the chemists could claim the prescription charges, rather than put the onus on to the unfortunate applicant?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

The hon. and gallant Gentleman will be aware that my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health has taken steps to improve the procedure for claiming reimbursement, and in particular for enabling it to be claimed on the day of payment without waiting for the day of payment of National Assistance. These are matters on which the hon. and gallant Gentleman will no doubt want to put Questions to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health.

Mr. Warbey

Is the Minister aware that coal miners in an advanced state of pneumoconiosis are having to pay as much as 5s. per week for prescription charges? Will he not consider authorising the National Assistance Board to issue a regular prescription allowance for chronic invalids?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

That would appear to be a matter more for my hon. Friend the Minister of Health than for myself, and certainly it has nothing to do with the Question on the Paper.

Mr. W. R. Williams

The Minister says that the proposal is impracticable. Some of us find it very difficult to understand that. Will he give us some of the reasons?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Certainly. First of all, to issue a large number of vouchers, as is proposed in the Question, to recipients of National Assistance would involve a very considerable production of paper and the production of vouchers the use of which it would be very difficult to control.