§ Mr. Fidlerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the new charges for prescription charge prepayment certificates; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir K. JosephAs from 1st April next, when the prescription charge will be increased to 4s. 0d., the cost of pre-payment certificates will be £2 for a certificate 447W valid for six months and £3 10s. for one valid for 12 months. This will make the certificates an even better bargain than they are now. It will be worth anyone's while to buy one of the new certificates if he needs more than 10 items on prescription in six months or more than 17 items in 12 months. The comparative figures for the present certificates are 12 448W items in six months and 22 items in 12 months. The new arrangements will thus result in an increase in the number of people for whom the certificate will be a worthwhile purchase. I hope that the certificates will be widely used by everyone who needs relatively frequent prescriptions and is not entitled to complete exemption from prescription charges.