§ Mr. Freemanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if Her Majesty's Government will permit the repayment of prepayments for medication in the case of patients who die before receiving their full supply of medicine whose relatives are not at present able to obtain a refund.
§ Mr. John PattenI sympathise where a prescription prepayment certificate is purchased then, for whatever reason, not fully used. However, application forms for prepayment certificates carry a very clear warning that the fee paid will not be returned, save in very exceptional circumstances. Any general system of refunds would have in fairness to include not only people who die while holding a valid certificate but those admitted to NHS inpatient care, and those who become exempt, on whatever grounds, during their certificate's validity. We do not feel that the additional administrative cost this would involve could be justified and therefore have no plans to change the present arrangements.