Mr. H. STEWARTasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Scottish general practitioners have attended the refresher course at the British postgraduate school, Hammersmith, since its 1534W inception; whether general practitioners attending are given any financial assistance to cover fees, expenses, and the cost of engaging locum tenens; and whether the Department of Health for Scotland intends extending the scheme of refresher courses for the benefit of all panel doctors in Scotland?
§ Sir G. COLLINSI have no information as to the total number of Scottish general practitioners who have attended the course referred to in the first part of the question. Refresher courses are available in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and normally Scottish medical practitioners attend one or other of these courses. The Department of Health for Scotland make a limited number of grants annually to insurance practitioners in the Highlands and Islands and in rural and semi-rural areas of the Lowlands for the purpose of assisting them to take a course of postgraduate study. There is however no intention to extend this assistance to all insurance practitioners in Scotland. In past years two grants have been given to doctors who attended the London course, and this year two prospective beneficiaries propose to take this course.