§ 53. Mr. Randallasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how much of the Supplementary Estimate of the National Assistance Board is due to National Health prescription charges.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterAbout £150,000.
§ Mr. RandallDo the incidence of claims that are coming in show that the Supplementary Estimate is justified, or are the claims increasing and will they go beyond the Supplementary Estimate? Can the right hon. Gentleman give any reason why information is held back with regard to supplementary reports from the National Assistance Board concerning prescriptions?
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterI have no information as to any reports on this subject being held back by the Board. If the hon. Member gets in touch with me, I will be glad to clear that up. The figures are the Board's best estimate of the additional sum required for this purpose for the remainder of the financial year.