§ 56. Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to carry out a review of the scheme on prescription charges; and what causes attributable to the scheme are responsible for the fall in prescriptions estimated at 40 million per year.
§ Mr. CrossmanThe operation of the scheme is kept under constant review. I do not accept my hon. Friend's estimate of the size of the reduction in the number of prescriptions, nor is it necessarily attributable only to the reintroduction of prescription charges.
§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of clerical grade officers and senior officers employed by the Inner London Executive Council to check the entitlement to exemption from prescription charges; what is their estimated annual cost; what was the number of prescriptions checked between September 1968 and January 1969; what was the number of patients found not to have been entitled to exemption; and what was the total of the charge recovered from those patients.
§ Mr. CrossmanIn terms of whole-time equivalents, one executive grade, one higher clerical and seven clerical grade officers, £8,400; checks were completed on nearly 19,000 prescription forms; 225; £45.