§ Mr. Mike Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether joint financing money may be used in addition to Manpower Services Commission funds to provide sheltered workshops for the handicapped, disabled and mentally ill.
§ Mr. Rossi:No. Joint finance money is available for the support of selected local authority personal social services schemes and related health services expenditure. The provision of sheltered workshops is a responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.
Invalidity Benefit Recipients (Prescriptions)
§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now reconsider the decision not to allow those in receipt of invalidity benefit to have their medical prescriptions free of charge.
§ Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:I have no plans to extend automatic exemption from prescription charges to this group. Apart from the fact that not all invalidity benefit recipients need frequent prescriptions, many already qualify for exemption by being in receipt of supplementary benefit, family income supplement or because their income falls below a certain level. The pre-payment 328W certificate—"season ticket"—arrangements can, of course, help those people not entitled to exemption to limit their outlay on medicines.