§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to pay professional allowances to pharmacists dispensing over 2,000 scripts per month.
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesI refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd, North-West (Mr. Richards) on 20 May at column314.
§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what policies he has adopted to assist local pharmacies.
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesLocal pharmacies may be eligible for a range of assistance to retail businesses which is provided through the enterprise initiative consultancy scheme, through training and enterprise councils, and through local enterprise agencies. Pharmacies in commercial improvement areas or commercial renewal areas may also qualify for assistance for commercial building improvement works under the Welsh Office's urban programme. For those pharmacies who are contracted to provide pharmaceutical services to the NHS, the arrangements for determining their remuneration are intended to give pharmacists a fair return for the level and quality of the services they provide. The essential small pharmacies scheme gives additional payments to improve the financial viability of small isolated pharmacies which provide essential NHS dispensing services to patients.