asked the Minister of Health what estimate he has made of the yield in 1969–70 of the charges currently payable by patients under the National Health Service and of the probable additional cost to the Service that would result from the abolition of such charges.

The estimated yield from charges in 1969–70 for the health and welfare services is £68 million of which about £40 million refers to the National Health Service. No estimate has been made of the probable additional cost that would result from their abolition.

asked the Minister of Health what is the reason for the difference, in Table 20.2 of the National Plan, of £69 million between the gross and net expenditure on the health and welfare services that are planned or foreseen for 1969–70.

As the Table shows the difference of £69 million represents income from charges to patients, etc. in accordance with current policies. This includes, in addition to the dental and optical charges, payments by hospital patients for private and amenity beds, etc., a small amount of miscellaneous hospital income and charges made for local health and welfare services.

asked the Minister of Health what is the reason for the difference, in Table 20.2 of the National Plan, of £21 million between the 1964–65 and 1965–66 assessment of the difference between the gross and the net expenditure on the health and welfare services.

The 1964–65 figure takes account of income from prescription charges; there is no income from this source in 1965–66, but some increase in income from other charges.