§ Mr. TynanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision is made in relation to prepayment prescription charges for payment to be made in instalments by direct debit instalments. [132364]
§ Ms StuartIn England prescription pre-payment certificates (PPCs) are not available by instalments. To introduce payment on a sliding scale, by instalments or by direct debit, would inevitably increase administrative costs. This would in turn lead to higher season ticket fees, and so reduce the potential savings and make them less attractive for those who continue to use them. However, we recognise that some people may have difficulty in finding the fee for an annual PPC in one payment, which is why we have also made PPCs available for four-monthly periods at a cost of £31.40.