§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to inform people who are now receiving medicines which will not be prescribable as National Health Service items after 1 April 1985 of the sums they will have to pay if they wish to continue with such medicines.
220Wretiring with the benefit of annuities from occupational pension schemes currently qualify for supplementary benefit immediately upon retirement;
(2) what proportion of people over 70 years of age and in receipt of annuities from occupational pension schemes currently qualify for supplementary benefit; and what is the corresponding proportion of people over 80 years of age;
(3) how many pensioners currently receiving annuities from occupational pension schemes are also in receipt of supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. WhitneyIt is estimated that at December 1982 some 282,000 supplementary pensioners were also in receipt of an occupational pension. I regret that information is not readily available of the numbers of recipients in the respective age groups or of those who qualify for supplementary pension immediately on retirement.