§ Mr. LevittTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of the essential small pharmacies scheme on the numbers of rural pharmacies; [11151]
(2) how many pharmacies in England received payment under the essential small pharmacy scheme in (a) 1994 and (b) 1997 broken down into (i) metropolitan boroughs, (ii) shire counties and (iii) London; [11149]
(3) what proposals he has to support rural pharmacies. [11150]
§ Mr. MilburnThe essential small pharmacy scheme exists to provide financial support to pharmacies located more than 1 km from the next nearest pharmacy and which dispense fewer than 18,636 national health service prescriptions in a year. Rural pharmacies can take advantage of the scheme.
The pharmacies in the scheme are split into metropolitan boroughs and shire counties as set out in the table.
30 September 1994 30 September 1996 England and Wales 283 276 England 257 249 of which located in: Metropolitan boroughs 34 36 Shire counties 197 179 London 26 34 Wales 26 27