§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what resources he intends to make available to general practitioner surgeries to improve ease of access to premises, consulting room facilities, internal waiting areas and seating and standards of lighting, heating and ventilation.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 1 February 1985, c. 365]: Financial assistance is available to general practitioners making such improvements to their premises under the improvement grant scheme. Under this scheme eligible doctors receive by way of grant one third of the actual cost to them of approved work and associated statutory and professional fees.
A temporary scheme for enhanced improvement grants was introduced on 1 November 1983, which will run until 31 October 1986. Additional funds have been made available under this scheme to enable doctors in selected inner city areas of England to receive improvement grants amounting to 60 per cent. of the cost of approved work and related fees. It is intended that the higher level of grants should be used to assist general practitioners in premises where the basic facilities (for example toilet and washing facilities, waiting room, heating, lighting and ventilation) are in greatest need of improvement.