HC Deb 24 February 1961 vol 635 cc85-6W
Mr. Chetwynd

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what has been the average administrative cost to the National Assistance Board of an application for a refund of the prescription charge: what estimate he has made of the cost when the charge is doubled; and what is his estimate of the additional applications that will be made.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

The estimated total administrative cost of refunds of prescription charges by the National far as possible between the different categories of charges.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

The information asked for is as follows:

Assistance Board is at present about £145,000 a year. This has to be set against a total amount refunded of £1,066,000 in 1960, and represents rather more than lid. per 1s. prescription item. The increase in the charge should of course tend to reduce the administrative cost in proportion to the amount refunded, since the administrative cost of refunding 2s. must be approximately the same as that of refunding Is. Some increase in the number of applications for refunds may be expected.