§ Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the reply of 29 November 1989,Official Report, column 299, if, on the same basis, he will publish how much money was raised in prescription charges in England in 1988–89; and for what specific purposes this money, credited for class XIV, vote 2, was put.
§ Mr. DorrellPrescription charges, including receipts from the sale of pre-payment certificates, raised £176.9 million in England in 1988–89. This amount, along with other national health service charges, was used to offset the total cost of the national health service.
§ Mr. Harry BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the annual figures for the awarding of free prescriptions on the grounds of low income for the past three years for which figures are available.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe information requested is given in the table.
Year ending 31 July Number of prescription items1 million 1988 38.6 1989 34.4 1990 35.7 1 These figures represent the total number of items dispensed free of charge to persons receiving income support, family credit or who held a valid exemption certificate on low income grounds, and their dependants.