§ Mr. DenhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many pensioners received(a) free prescriptions, (b) courses of (i) free and (ii) reduced rate dental treatment and (c) free NHS sight tests, reduced private sight tests and spectacle vouchers for (1) 1989 and (2) the most recent year for which information is available under the NHS low income scheme; [19651]
(2) how many pensioners received assistance with NHS health costs from (a) income support, (b) being in receipt of certificate AG2 and (c) being in receipt of certificate AG3; and what estimate he has made of the number who paid full charges but could have received reduced charges if they had applied for AG2 or AG3 in (i) 1989 and (ii) the most recent year for which information is available. [19650]
§ Mr. MaloneAll pensioners are entitled to free national health service prescriptions. Pensioners as a group are not entitled to free NHS sight tests, spectacle vouchers or dental treatment but may be entitled to help through the NHS low income scheme. Pensioners are not identified in the information collected about the number of free or reduced cost courses of dental treatments, NHS sights tests and spectacle vouchers. No information is available about the number of pensioners who pay for sight tests, spectacles and dental treatment but would be entitled to help if they made a low income scheme claim.
The available information is in the table:
Thousands 1989–90 1994–95 1. Pensioners claiming income support 11,432 11,584 2. Partners of pensionable age 179 208 3. Pensioners holding certificate AG22 not available 229 4. Partners of pensionable age not available 87 5. Pensioners holding certificate AG32 not available 178 6. Partners of pensionable age not available 73 7. Prescriptions dispensed to pensioners 3147,300 4184,200 8. Courses of NHS dental treatment for patients aged 65 or over treated as exempt on grounds of low income5 370 6— Lines 1–6 are in respect of Great Britain. Lines 7–8 are in respect of England. 1From a sample in May each year. 2AG2/AG3 are issued for six months. 3Based on fees for prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors only. 4Based on items dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors only. 5This includes holders of AG2s/AG3s and recipients of Income Support or Family Credit. Information is not available separately in respect of each group. 6Figures are not now produced routinely and recent figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Pensioners are women aged 60 or more and men aged 65 or more.