§ Mr. Carterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the local authorities who provide an entirely free family planning service together with free family planning aids will remain free to maintain the services when the family planning provisions of the reorganised Health Service come into effect in 1974.
§ Sir K. JosephThe proposals which I announced on 12th December—that is, free advice and treatment for all and free supplies for particular groups—would apply to the whole country as from April 1974, when under the terms of the National Health Service Reorganisation 195W Bill the responsibility for family planning services is due to be transferred from local authorities to the new National Health Service authorities. The Government are considering the situation created by an amendment made to this Bill in another place that would require all supplies to be free—[Vol. 848; c. 234–40.]