§ 11. Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when next she proposes to meet Health and Social Services Ministers in the other EEC countries.
§ Mrs. CastleI hope to do so as opportunity offers in the course of Community business or otherwise.
§ Mrs. ChalkerWill the right hon. Lady take specific steps to exchange information with the other eight members of the EEC so that we can discover from them their great advances and disclose to them some of our benefits? We know how much this country needs help, and the EEC would benefit from our experience.
§ Mrs. CastleI agree with the hon. Lady that the EEC needs some of our 230 policies, notably in the health service sphere, because there is no complete coverage of health service provision in the Community countries, as there is here. That is why I have already in past months been exchanging information with these countries. For instance, in November I went to Bonn to sign a reciprocal health agreement with the Federal Republic of Germany which is designed to give our self-employed when they visit the Federal Republic the same kind of health treatment that the self-employed from that country get when they come here. Therefore, I agree that it is important that we should learn from each other. While I was in Bonn, I was glad to study the many advances which the Social Democratic Government of the Federal Republic had made in the social security sector, and they were interested to share in our advances.
§ Mrs. Winifred EwingIs the right hon. Lady satisfied with the equality of the reciprocal arrangements made for United Kingdom citizens and citizens of member States? Will she tell the House in which countries the position is not equal for citizens of the United Kingdom and what she proposes to do about it?
§ Mrs. CastleThe hon. Lady has mentioned a very wide area indeed. We have reciprocal arrangements under the EEC regulations over a considerable area, but there are gaps to which I have referred, notably concerning non-employed and self-employed persons. These categories get far more comprehensive and automatic coverage under our health service and social security system than in the Community. We have signed a health agreement with Denmark and we are waiting for the agreement which I signed with Bonn to be ratified shortly.
§ Mr. Ronald AtkinsIs my right hon. Friend aware that we get greater value at less cost from the health and social services of this country than is obtained in any other country in the world, including the other EEC countries? Will she show those countries how they can reach our high standards?
§ Mrs. CastleI think my hon. Friend is right in saying that we get greater value for money from our expenditure on health care in this country, thanks to the existence of our comprehensive and centrally 231 administered, organised and planned health service. Certainly there is a marked difference in this respect between the United Kingdom and the United States, which I visited recently.