HC Deb 01 April 1941 vol 370 cc865-6W
Mr. Goldie

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it is proposed to take any, and if so what, steps to recall to this country British subjects of military age not engaged on Government business now in the United States of America, and who, if resident in the United Kingdom. would be liable to service in the armed forces of the Crown?

Mr. Butler

British subjects of military age who are not in Great Britain on the date of the proclamation affecting their age-group, though eligible, are not liable for military service under the National arrangements for securing the treatment of his insured patients where prevented from giving such treatment himself by urgency of other professional duties or other reasonable cause. If neither the practitioner nor his deputy is available for giving treatment in case of accident or other sudden emergency, any other insurance-practitioner who may be available can required to give it. A fee is payable to the last-mentioned practitioner, subject to the claim being passed by the panel committee. The fee is recoverable from the patient's own practitioner unless the panel committee are satisfied that there was reasonable cause for not summoning him.

Mr. Groves

asked the Minister of Health in how many insurance committee areas have the number of prescriptions in 1940 been substantially less than in 1939, with little difference between the total cost of the prescriptions and of the dispensing fees; and will he give the comparative figures for 1939 and 1940 for London, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol?

Mr. Brown

The areas in England and Wales which fulfil the conditions set out in the first part of the Question number seven. The information asked for in the last part is:

Service (Armed Forces) Act, 1939. There are, in any case, no statutory provisions enabling them to be recalled to this country.