PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
NHS CHARGES (18 June 1997)

leave out from 'House' to end and add 'recalls that the Health Committee in the last Parliament, which was chaired by the honourable Member for Broxbourne and had a Conservative majority, concluded that the current system of prescription charges is not logically constructed and recommended that there should be a review of prescription charges and the current exemption categories; therefore regards it as inconsistent for the honourable Lady and her honourable friends to criticise the Prime Minister for leaving the door open on 18th June for such a review to take place; notes that unlike anything that went on when the honourable Lady's party was in Government, every aspect of the review to be carried out by the Labour Government will be assessed against the Labour manifesto commitment to ensure that access to treatment is based on need and need alone, and not related to ability to pay, thus avoiding the possibility that charges might deter people from seeking the treatment they need; and further notes that the review of charges will include looking at the impact of existing charges.'.

Sponsored by:
Mrs Audrey Wise (Labour)