§ Baroness Hornsby-Smithasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they can estimate how many EEC nationals from other member states receive treatment under the NHS and to what extent United Kingdom citizens take advantage, under the reciprocal agreement, of medical services in the rest of the European Community.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Lord Glenarthur)In 1983, under the provisions of the European Community Social Security Regulations, 269 residents of other member states were referred to the United Kingdom specifically for treatment, and 411200WA residents of the United Kingdom were similarly referred to other member states.
Statistics are, however, not available to form the basis of an estimate of the numbers of temporary visitors to the United Kingdom from most other member states, or to most other member states from the United Kingdom, who obtain immediately necessary treatment under the provisions of the same regulations. Some figures are, however, available in respect of visitors from and to France and Belgium which show how many United Kingdom visitors to these countries received treatment and to estimate the number of French and Belgian visitors given treatment here during 1982. The figures are:
Visitors to United Kingdom Visitors from United Kingdom From/to Belgium 650 1,288 From/to France 4,875 16,067