HC Deb 28 April 1998 vol 311 c119W
Mr. Denzil Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) following the judgment of the European Court of Justice of 19 October 1995 on the equalisation of prescription charges for men and women at the age of 60 years or over, how many appeals against his Department's restriction of the effect of the judgment to the period commencing 20 July 1995 have been received; and how many were successful; [39347]

(2) following the judgment of the European Court of Justice of 19 October 1995, on prescription charges for men and women aged 60 years and over, how many eligible claims based on the purchase of pre-payment certificates his Department has received; and what has been the total cost to date of meeting the said claims. [39349]

Mr. Milburn

The information on how many appeals have been received against the restriction of the effect of the judgment to the period commencing 20 July 1995 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Two refunds were paid for the period before 20 July 1995.

The Prescription Pricing Authority authorised £2,529,016 on 54,722 prescription prepayment certificate claims. The Prescription Pricing Authority authorised a further £50,948 on 901 combined prescription charge refund and prescription prepayment certificate claims. We estimate that health authorities authorised some £437,000 on prescription prepayment certificate claims, but information is not available centrally on the numbers of these claims.