asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list for each of the past five years, the total number of prescriptions and their total cost, at 1984 prices, written by general practitioners; and what assumption he has made for planning purposes of the total number and total cost for each of the next three years, at 1984 prices (a) including and (b) excluding any limited list effect.

[pursuant to his reply, 8 February 1985, c. 731]: The information requested is as follows:

Year ending 31 March	Number of Prescriptions (millions)	Total Cost £ millions—in 1983–84 Economic cost terms
1981	319·6	1,191·7
1982	317·4	1,252·4
1983	330·0	1,346·5
1984	334·3	1,430·6
*1985	345·0	1,500·0
* Provisional.

The provision for family practitioner services expenditure for 1985–86 to 1987–88 contained in "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1985–86 to 1987–88" (Cmnd. 9428) takes account of savings from the limited list effect. Details of the breakdown of the provision for 1985–86 will be shown in the estimates which will be laid before the House shortly. The detailed information requested for 1986–87 and 1987–88 is not available.