§ Mr. Pawseyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if, in the light of evidence submitted to the doctors' and dentists' review panel that the gross remuneration to general medical practitioners for National Health Service dispensing had increased by 21 per cent. in real terms between 1975 and 1980, although the volume of prescriptions dispensed in England and Wales by general medical practitioners had increased by 9 per cent.. in that time, he will institute an inquiry into the level and methods of remunerating general medical practitioners for National Health Service dispensing;
(2) if he will take steps to ensure that account is taken in future reviews of doctors' pay of the level of dispensing by general practitioners, in view of the fact that the number of prescriptions dispensed per dispensing doctor rose between 1975 and 1980 by 9 per cent., whereas gross remuneration increased by 21 per cent. in real terms over the same period.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke:It is for the independent Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration to decide what factors should be taken into account in its reviews of doctors' pay. In its twelfth report the review body did not recommend any change in the existing broad relationship between gross remuneration for dispensing and other services. However it invited the Health Departments and the profession to consider whether in principle there should now be some adjustment to take account of the change in the differential between the net incomes of dispensing and non-dispensing doctors; and if so, how such an adjustment might be best brought about. This is being done with the aim of advising the Review Body on this matter, as it requested, for its next review.