§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will publish proposals to expand the work of family practitioner committees in order to reduce the burden on the hospital services.
§ Dr. OwenIt is highly desirable that whenever possible people should be cared for in the community and within the resources made available for the NHS the development of efficient primary care will continue to be one of my main priorities. This requires the close co-operation of the family practitioner committees and the services they administer with health authorities and local authorities and the services they provide. Plans for the expansion of the primary care services must be suited to the circumstances of each locality and it is for health authorities to take the lead in formulating such plans having regard to the resources available to them.