§ 66. Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is now the number of executive grade, higher clerical grade and clerical grade 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 January 1969 and January 1970; what was the number of patients found not to have been entitled to exemption; and what was the total of the charge recovered.
§ Dr. John Dunwoody:In terms of whole time equivalents, one executive grade, one higher clerical grade and six clerical grade officers are now engaged on checking at an estimated current annual cost of £10,200; checks were completed on over 45,000 forms between 1st January, 1969, and 31st January, 1970, by, on average about two-thirds of the number of staff now employed. 868 patients were found not to be entitled to exemption and £169 was recovered from them.