§ Mr. REMERasked the Minister of Health if his attention has been called to the prescribing of Dr. Tomlinson, of Dunkinfield, and Dr. Cooper, of Altrincham; if he is aware that the Cheshire Insurance Committee, representing 260,000 insured people, are unanimously of the opinion that the penalties imposed by the Ministry are harsh and punitive and likely to result in a lowering of the standard of medical benefit of insured persons; and will he state the reasons for overruling the decision of the Cheshire Insurance Committee?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI am aware of the facts in these cases, which were decided in December last, and of the views of the Insurance Committee on the decisions. The decisions, which rest with the Minister and not with the Committee, were taken because he was satisfied that the doctors had imposed charges upon the available funds in excess of what was reasonably necessary for adequate treatment.