§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to publish the amendment to the statement of fees and allowances to be administered by the Scottish Rural Practice and Fund Committee for the benefit of general practitioners who practise in less densely populated country areas; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 26 March 1990]: The Scottish rural practice fund committee has not yet formulated detailed proposals concerning the new scheme. It has recommended that in the first instance the transitional payments scheme at present set out in paragraph 83 of the statement of fees and allowances (SFA) should apply to all GPs who meet the criteria, including those who receive payments from the Scottish rural practice fund. An amendment to the SFA will be made shortly to give effect to this recommendation. This will allow the longer-term scheme covering doctors who work in the less populated areas of Scotland to be worked out carefully and in detail. The details of that long-term scheme will also be set out in an amendment to the SFA in due course.