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§ Mr. Kerry Pollard (St. Albans)This petition— [Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I advise Members not to cross in front of an hon. Member when he is addressing the House.
§ Mr. PollardThank you, Mr. Speaker. This petition from Janet Smith and other citizens of St. Albans declares:
That proposals to allow unrestricted opening of pharmacies able to dispense national health service prescriptions would undermine the excellent service provided by communities pharmacists.
397 The Petitioners therefore call upon the House of Commons to reject those proposals.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.
To lie upon the Table.
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§ Mrs. Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham)s I wish to present a petition from more than 1,000 residents in Chesham and Amersham who use the Collins and Jervie pharmacy at 52 Sycamore road, Amersham and members of Chesham and Amersharr, who use the Fox pharmacy in Holmer Green. The petition declares:
The proposals made by the Office of Fair Trading to allow supermarkets a bigger role in dispensing NHS prescriptions will endanger the viability of neighbourhood pharmacies in local high streets which serve the needs of local people; notes that neighbourhood pharmacies provide many services for their customers such as stocking oxygen cylinders and organising repeat prescriptions; further notes that the pharmacy is a fount of advice for patients, particularly mothers with babies and elderly people and that the supermarket is not necessarily more convenient for either of these age groups to visit.The Petitioners therefore request the House of Commons to reject the proposals by the Office of Fair Trading to allow supermarkets a bigger role in dispensing NH S prescriptions.And the Petitioners remain, etc.To lie upon the Table.