HC Deb 17 May 1973 vol 856 cc387-8W
Mr. Pavitt

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why he refused to meet a deputation from the London borough of Brent to discuss the operation of National Health Service family planning services; what evidence his Department has assembled from the experience of family planning in that borough; and if he will make a statement.

Sir K. Joseph

The London borough of Brent wrote to me on 4th April requesting a meeting on 18th April to protest at the ending of its free service and to present the statistics indicative of its successful use.

I had announced to the House on 26th March the result of the Government's reconsideration of the position on charging which followed the conclusion of the House of Lords that family planning supplies should be entirely free; this decision had been taken after my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State and I had met representatives from other local authorities which provide a free service and from the Family Planning Association. I am sure it will be understood that Ministers do not always find it possible

Mr. Dean

The following are the available figures of new spells for which injury benefit was paid:

Year ended 4th June 1966 919,000
Year ended 3rd June 1967 890,000
Year ended 1st June 1968 882,000
Year ended 31st May 1969 864,000
Year ended 30th May 1970 860,000
Year ended 5th June 1971 (a) 736,000
(a) 53 week period.

Mr. Kinnock

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the average period of incapacity of claimants of industrial injury benefit for each year from 1966 to the latest date for which figures are available.

Mr. Dean

The following is the available information:

to undertake all the meetings that are requested, and in this case an entirely new situation was created by the Government's conclusion that the maximum charge for family supplies should be the prescription charge, an arrangement that does not exist in any local authority area at present.

Officers of my Department however had already arranged to visit those responsible for the provision of the family planning service in Brent as part of a series of such visits which has been undertaken. This visit took place on 26th April.