§ Mr. Maudeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the annual cost if private patients, who at present pay the full cost of the drugs prescribed for them, were in future to receive drugs on the same basis as National Health Service patients; and what proportion this would be of the present National Health Service drugs bill.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThere is no reliable information on the number of prescriptions issued to private patients and we cannot therefore estimate the annual cost of drugs supplied in this way. Supply by the National Health Service would, however, inevitably add to the drugs bill which already stands at £1,400 million a year.