§ 57. Mr. Manuelasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce a scheme whereby chronically sick patients who are not exempt from prescription charges can pay the 55s. cost of an annual season ticket by weekly instalments.
§ 58. Mr. Manuelasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the additional payments to pharmacists required to compensate them for the additional work needed to collect prescription charges for this year and for the next full year.
§ 59. Mr. Emrys Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether prosecutions of persons who falsely claim exemption from prescription charges will be undertaken by his Department or that of the Procurator-Fiscal.
§ Mr. RossNo change is proposed in the normal arrangements for the conduct of criminal prosecutions by the Procurator-Fiscal.
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§ 60. Mr. Benceasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will arrange for guidance to be given to dispensing chemists on the details of prescription charge exemptions and communications of entitlements to those asking for medicines on E.C.10 forms.
Mr. MilanChemists have already been given full information about prescription charges including the prepayment certificates scheme. I do not think that any further guidance is necessary at present.
§ 61. Mr. Hugh D. Brownasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the cost of further advertising in the Press or on television to enable patients to know their exemption entitlements regarding prescription charges.
§ Mr. RossNo further advertisements are at present being considered, but I will keep the position under review.
§ 62. Mr. Hugh D. Brownasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to collect the statistics concerned with the season ticket prescription charge arrangements.
§ Mr. RossI am making arrangements to collect information about the number of prepayment certificates issued and the extent of their use.
§ 63. Mr. Doigasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the number and cost of additional staff to be employed by health executive councils in Scotland to deal with prescription charges.
§ Mr. RossThe best estimate I can make is about 20 full-time and 5 part-time, at an additional cost of about £10,000 to £12,000 per annum.
§ Mr. Adam Hunterasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the advertisements he has issued in connection with prescription charges giving the date, the name of the journal and the amount paid.
§ Mr. RossThe information is set out in the table below. Two series of advertisements have been placed in Scottish daily, weekly and Sunday newspapers in 465W connection with prescription charges. The first contained information about the reimposition of charges, with full details of the exempt categories and advice on how to claim exemption; the second announced the introduction of prepayment
Name Date of Publication Cost First Athertisement £ s. d. Aberdeen Press and Journal … 31st May, 1968 … 130 0 0 Aberdeen Evening Express … 4th June, 1968 … 97 10 0 Dundee Courier and Advertiser … 29th May, 1968 … 113 15 0 Dundee Evening Telegraph … 5th June, 1968 … 73 2 5 Edinbergh Evening News … 4th June, 1968 … 211 5 0 Scotsman … 28th May, 1968 … 227 10 0 Daily Record … 27th May, 1968 … 405 0 0 Glasgow Evening Citizen … 3rd June, 1968 … 260 0 0 Glasgow Evening Times … 29th May, 1968 … 348 0 0 Glasgow Herald … 3rd June. 1968 … 227 0 0 Sunday Post … 2nd June, 1968 and 9th June, 1968 … 1,800 0 0 Sunday Mail … 2nd June, 1968 and 9th June. 1968 … 1,025 0 0 Weekly News … 1st June, 1968 … 990 0 0 People's Journal … 1st June, 1968 … Weekly News … 8th June, 1968 … 810 0 0 Second Advertisement Sunday Mail … 20th October, 1968 and 27th October, 1968 … 379 10 0 Aberdeen Press and Journal … 18th October, 1968 and 24th October, 1968 … 132 10 0 Dundee Courier … 18th October, 1968 and 23rd October, 1968 … 115 10 0 Daily Record … 17th October, 1968 and 21st October, 1968 … 297 0 0 Weekly News … 19th October, 1968 and 26th October, 1968 … 330 0 0 People's Journal … 19th October, 1968 and 26th October, 1968 …
§ Mr. Eadieasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the cost of additional staff in hospitals needed for the collection of prescription charges and the cost of the additional clerical bookkeeping work involved; and if this sum will be taken into consideration when he assesses the benefit to the Exchequer accruing from these charges.
§ Mr. RossThe additional work will generally be dealt with by existing staff and no precise estimate of cost can be made; but it is likely to be small.
Mr. W. H. K. Bakerasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what increases in staff of medical executive councils have been occasioned by the re-introduction of prescription charges; and how many additional staff are thus employed in the Scottish Home and Health Department.
§ Mr. RossWith regard to the first part of the Question I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the Answer given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Dundee, West (Mr Doig). The answer to the second part of the Question is one.
§ Mr. Adam Hunterasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if a patient who
466Wcertificates, with advice on how they could be obtained. Both series were designed to supplement similar advertisements placed by my right hon. Friend, the then Minister of Health, in newspapers with a United Kingdom coverage.
purchases two six-months prescription charge season tickets in succession will be allowed a rebate of 5s. on the second.
Mr. W. H. K. Bakerasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to amend the list of chronic illnesses which exempt patients from paying the prescription charges.