§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the real increase in prescription charges after allowing for inflation in the years 1979 to 1984 for each category of health service charges.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 12 November 1984]: The information is as follows:
221W
Percentage increase Prescription charge 389 Pre-payment certificate—annual 320
Percentage increase Elastic stocking (single) 108 Elastic hosiery (excluding stockings) 292 Wigs and fabric supports Full bespoke human hair wig 317 Partial human hair wig 161 Stock modacrylic wig 292 Abdominal and spinal support 254 Surgical brassiere 125 These increases all start from an artificially low base, in my opinion, as previous Governments had, for reasons not known to me, decided to freeze the level of charges.
Note: The figures have been deflated by the movement in the retail price index between April 1979 and April 1984.