§ Mr. Ridleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the yield of prescription charges, and the average charge per prescription, in 1973–74; what are the figures for the current financial year; and what has been the decline in the value of the £ sterling in the same period.
§ Dr. OwenInformation in respect of prescriptions dispensed by chemists in England is as follows:
Yield of charges £ million Average charge per prescription (all prescriptions) 1973–74 22.9 8.7p 1975–76 (estimated) 22.8 8.1p The decline in the internal purchasing power of the £ sterling between September 1973 and September 1975 was about 32 per cent., based on changes in the general index of retail prices.