§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider providing financial support to ensure the wide distribution and availability of the recently published National Consumer Council's pamphlet on patients' rights and the abridged version published in the minority languages spoken throughout Great Britain.
§ Dr. VaughanI have been asked to reply.
We are doing so already. The cost of publishing 50,000 copies of a free summary of the NCC report "Patients' Rights" is being met from our grant-in-aid to the council. In England and Wales the summary is available from community health councils, which are themselves meeting the cost of a further 50,000 copies. A version is available in Welsh; and I understand that the report will be used in the preparation of a pamphlet by the BBC, in conjunction with the Health Education Council, which will be published in 12 ethnic minority languages.