§ Mr. MIDDLETONasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that, at a recent conference of a body called the Joint Council of Qualified Opticians, it was decided to raise the prices of glasses and spectacles supplied by members of that body to insured persons; that the so-called standard charges represent costs higher than those ordinarily charged to private patients; and whether he is prepared to take action to prevent undue profits being made at the expense of insured persons?
§ Mr. GREENWOODThe fixing of a scale of charges for the supply of optical appliances is a matter for agreement by negotiation between approved societies and opticians. Negotiations have recently 643W been in progress between the Joint Council of Qualified Opticians and representatives of societies which desire to make arrangements with that body for the provision of ophthalmic benefit to their members, and a scale of charges has been agreed upon. I am informed that under this scale a reduction has been made in the charges for appliances for which fixed prices had previously been in force, and that the scale as a whole is considered by the societies to be satisfactory. I am of opinion that societies are fully alive to the importance of protecting their members against unreasonable charges on the part of opticians, and that under the regulations governing the administration of the benefit they have full power to do so.