§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people over 60 years have been told they will not receive tax relief on private health insurance premiums because they have claimed for treatment which the Government do not consider would have been available on the national health service.
§ Mr. MaudeI regret that I have no figures on the incidence of individuals losing relief because of their having claimed for treatments not allowed by the regulations. It is my understanding that such instances should be very rare, because, in order to be certified as eligible for relief, a private medical insurance contract must only offer such allowable treatments.
§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax relief has been paid to the over-60s who have taken out private health insurance during each of the past two years.
§ Mr. MaudeThe relief has not yet been running for two full years. In 1990–91 the relief cost £55 million and I anticipate the cost for 1991–92 to be £60 million.
§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the treatments which the over-60s cannot use without losing tax relief on their private health insurance premiums; and how many people, having claimed tax relief on their premiums, have had to repay those premiums.
§ Mr. MaudeBroadly speaking, no treatments are permitted unless they are already predominantly provided free under the NHS and are performed by a registered medical or dental practitioner in the United Kingdom to the insured as an in or out-patient of a private or NHS hospital. In addition general practitioner performed surgery is also permitted, as are various services such as physiotherapy or home nursing provided they form part of, or are consequent upon, an allowable treatment.
I regret that I have no figures on the number of claimants who have received unapproved benefits and who, as a consequence, have paid higher premiums because of a withdrawal of tax relief.