§ 52. Mr. Stonehouseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in relation to the practice of certain doctors in the Black Country of charging individuals fees of up to £10 per head before agreeing to include them on National Health Service lists; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir K. JosephI have no evidence of this practice referred to but I understand that Dudley Executive Council have received representations concerning a report that a doctor requires one member of some families to become a private patient before accepting the others as National Health Service patients. Under the procedure for investigating such matters I 371W could have an appellate function to perform and therefore cannot comment further at present.