§ Jackie BallardTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the performance of the Prescription Pricing Authority in giving accurate and up-to-date information to primary care groups. [138313]
§ Ms StuartThere are currently delays of three months, resulting from the large number of prescriptions which fell within Category D of the Drug Tariff last year. The Prescription Pricing Authority has now begun to clear the backlog and will have completed this task by September next year. Meanwhile the authority is providing monthly forecasts for the availability of Prescription Pricing Authority information reports for the next two-month period to every health authority chief executive and professional adviser, and to every primary care group/trust.