§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 15 June,Official Report, columns 605–6, what is his assessment of the reasons for the upward growth in the figures for night visits by general practitioners.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 23 June 1994]: The rising trend is likely to reflect a range of factors but the step increase in 1990–91 can probably be attributed largely to changes introduced by the 1990 GP contract to the basis on which GPs are remunerated for night visits, including a two-tier system of payment for night visits and a two-hour extension of the period within which visits gave rise to eligibility for a fee.