HC Deb 05 April 1990 vol 170 cc744-5W
Mr. Sayeed

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the reasons why there has been no inquiry into discounts received by dispensing doctors on their drug purchases since 1983; and why there are no plans to hold such an inquiry.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

Doctors are reimbursed only their actual expenses. The effect of a discount scale for dispensing doctors (unlike the one for pharmacists) is to regulate reimbursement between dispensing and non-dispensing doctors. A further inquiry will be required in due course to establish whether there should be any change to the discount scale.