§ 85. Mr. Gourlayasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many applications were made in Scotland for refund of National Health prescription charges in each of the years 1958, 1959, and 1960; and if he will state the amount of money repaid in each of those years.
§ Miss Hornsby-Smith:It is estimated that the total amount of refunds of prescription charges in Scotland was about £65,000 in 1958, about £70,000 in 1959, and about £80,000 in 1960. It is not possible to say how many separate applications were made.
§ 86. Mr. Spriggsasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what was the total cost of meeting prescription charges for the years 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, and 1960–61, up to the latest convenient date; and what was the number of claims for refund made in each of the same periods.
40W
§ Mr. Boyd-Carpenter:The total sums refunded in respect of prescription charges were, respectively, about
£ 1955–56 477,000 1956–57 654,000 1957–58 1,078,000 1958–59 999,000 1959–60 1,043,000 A provisional figure for the first nine months of 1960–61 is £815,000. Figures are not available as to the number of persons who have claimed refunds.
§ 88. Mr. K. Robinsonasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how much the National Assistance Board has expended in each of the last three years for which figures are available on refunds of prescription charges to those in receipt of National Assistance, and to other applicants on hardship grounds.
§ Mr. Boyd-Carpenter:The total sums refunded by the National Assistance Board in respect of prescription charges were about £972,000 in 1958, £1,003,000 in 1959, and £1,066,000 in 1960.