§ Mr. Michael Cocksasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the countries where British nationals on holiday who incur unforeseen medical expenses have to pay, respectively, the full cost, a proportion of the cost and none of the cost.
§ Mr. AlisonBritish visitors on holiday abroad normally have to pay in full any expenses incurred as a result of medical treatment, except in the following countries: Bulgaria, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Yugoslavia. In these countries, with which we have reciprocity, hospital treatment is normally free but British visitors on holiday have to pay the same proportion of the cost of other treatment as nationals of the countries which they are visiting.
We have also signed recently an agreement with Austria which has yet to be ratified under which British visitors in need of urgent medical treatment will be able to obtain free treatment in hospital.