HC Deb 22 October 1971 vol 823 c209W
Miss Lestor

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total take-up of family income supplement as a percentage of those eligible.

Sir K. Joseph

Including those who receive additional supplementary benefit under Section 13 of the Family Income Supplements Act, the number of families benefiting from the scheme on 19th October was nearly 82,000. This is 43 per cent. of the estimate of 188,000 eligible families given on Second Reading of the Family Income Supplements Bill, but this estimate, which as I explained at the time

PRESCRIPTIONS DISPENSED BY CHEMISTS, INCLUDING APPLIANCE CONTRACTORS IN ENGLAND
Percentages of average total cost
Year Average total cost per prescription Ingredient cost On-cost Professional fee Container allowance
1966 £0.527 67.8 9.6 21.1 1.5
1970 £0.672 72.4 7.8 18.5 1.2

Mr. Pavitt

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number of contacts made by his Department's regional medical officers with doctors in England to discuss their prescribing costs in each of the last five years.

Mr. Alison

The numbers are as follows:

1966 1,295
1967 1,472
1968 2,844
1969 2,979
1970 3,552