§ Dr. David Owenasked the Minister of Health whether he has any further statement to make about the arrangements for exempting patients from prescription charges.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have been discussing both long-term and interim arrangements with the professions concerned.
Agreement has now been reached on the interim arrangements for England and Wales. Discussions are continuing with the Scottish chemists. Patients who are entitled to exemption on age grounds will simply complete a declaration on the back of the prescription form. The chemist will then not levy a charge. Expectant and nursing mothers, persons suffering from the conditions requiring continuous medication referred to in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Mr. Victor Yates) on 21st March, and the categories of persons referred to by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Social Security in her reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Midlothian (Mr. Eadie) and other hon. Members on 8th April, will be provided with exemption certificates. To
EDUCATIONAL BUILDING, SCOTLAND, 1965–67 A. Projects approved, started and completed* £m. Value of projects approved Value of projects started Value of projects completed 1965 1966 1967 1965 1966 1967 1965 1966 1967 Schools: Nursery and primary 5.8 5.7 8.6 6.4 5.7 10.2 7.7 6.5 7.2 Secondary 3.8 6.9 16.9 10.2 9.8 14.4 10.9 12.4 9.0 Special and approved 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.8 1.2 0.8 0.6 0.3 0.7 Total Schools 10.3 13.2 26.1 17.4 16.7 25.4 19.2 19.2 16.9 Further Education: Teacher Training 1.1 1.0 1.4 2.2 1.4 2.0 — 0.4 — Other 3.4 6.4 7.5 2.1 7.3 3.1 4.2 2.6 2.8 Total Further Education 4.5 7.4 8.9 4.3 8.7 5.1 4.2 3.0 2.8 TOTAL ALL PROJECTS 14.8 20.6 35.0 21.7 25.4 30.5 23.4 22.2 19.7 * Including expenditure on fees, furniture and equipment. 82W
B. Value of work under construction £000 Value of work under construction at end of year 1965 1966 1967 All Schools … … … 41,306 38,819 47,343 All Further Education … … … 14,260 19,910 22,180 secure exemption, they will complete a declaration on the back of the prescription form to the effect that they possess such a certificate.
There will also be arrangements for charges to be refunded where appropriate; but the wide scope of exemptions will mean that there will be relatively few cases where this will be necessary.
My right hon. Friend and I propose to make regulations bringing these arrangements into effect from 10th June. We intend that they shall in due course be replaced by other arrangements which will include special provision for persons who are not exempt but require numerous prescriptions.—[Vol. 761, c. 143–145; Vol. 762, c. 862–864.]