§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to assist doctors to retire at 65 years.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergDoctors covered by the NHS superannuation scheme may already retire at age 60.
§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, for each of the last 10 years, how many general practitioners have been contracted to the National Health Service; and how many of these were 65 years or older.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe number of general medical practitioners who were unrestricted principals in contract with the National Health Service in England in each of the last 10 years; and the number of those aged 65 or over, was as follows:
1 October Total Aged 65 and over 1973 19,997 1,328 1974 20,219 1,264 1975 20,377 1,262 1976 20,551 1,302 1977 20,796 1,279 1978 21040 1,263 1979 21,357 1,286 1980 21,812 1,326 1981 22,304 1,351 *1982 22,788 1,348 * Provisional figures.