§ Dr. Vaughanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what decision he has reached on the possible introduction of graduated prescription charges.
§ Sir K. JosephAfter very careful consideration of the arguments put to me by the representatives of the medical, dental and pharmaceutical professions, I have come to the conclusion that the proposals for graduated prescription charges put forward by my Department would raise serious practical difficulties; and the Government have accordingly decided not to pursue further the intention announced in the White Paper "New Policies for Public Spending" to relate prescription charges to a proportion of the cost of the individual prescription, subject to a ceiling.