§ Mr. Matthewsasked the Minister of Health his estimate of the number of patients who make use of all parts of the National Health Service owing to the fact that they are not permitted to make use only of particular parts of the Service, such as the supply of drugs.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithInformation on which the estimate which I think my hon. Friend has in mind could be based is not available to me; but I would remind him that patients can and do use independent parts of the Service separately and that as I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Carlisle (Dr. D. Johnson) on 30th November, the provision of drugs is not a separate element but an ancillary part of the general practitioner service.