§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what sources of additional funding for the National Health Service, outwith Treasury funding through general taxation, he is presently considering.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe working party set up to explore ways of financing health care in order to improve standards looked at a wide range of possibilities. We are now considering the report of the working party.
§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has given consideration to making available to workers in the National Health Service, National Health Service benefits free of charge; and what he estimates this would cost.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergDental, optical and pharmceutical—prescriptions—services are the only ones where patients pay a charge as a contribution towards the cost of the service. Help with these charges, or exemption from them, is available to everybody who qualifies on medical, financial or age grounds, each service applying any or all of these criteria. I would, therefore, be unreasonable to grant blanket exemption from charges to any group without regard to these considerations. Information is not available on the take-up of chargeable benefits by NHS staff to enable any estimate of cost to be made.