§ 32. Mr. Kenneth Lewisasked the Minister of Health whether he will authorise doctors to make a charge for the issue of tranquilliser tablets issued under National Health Service prescriptions.
§ Mr. LoughlinNo, Sir.
§ Mr. LewisAccepting that more and more people are bound to need tranquillisers under the present Administration, will not the Parliamentary Secretary agree that, as he has recently announced that the pill is to be a matter of charge by doctors, and as there is a great increase in the use of tranquillisers for people who are not really ill but who are made marginally ill because of the policies of the party opposite, it would be sensible to charge for these tablets?
§ Mr. LoughlinI cannot follow how the pill can be regarded as analogous to tranquillisers. We have allowed doctors to charge for oral contraceptives where such contraceptives are considered to be necessary for social and not for medical purposes. As regards tranquillisers, we take the view that, whatever the illness of the patient, no charge should impede him or her from receiving treatment.