To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 11 November, Official Report, column 409, when he expects to complete his consideration of whether to make nasogastric feeding tubes available on general practitioner prescription.

A decision on whether to make nasogastric feeding tubes available on general practitioner prescribing depends on the resource implications for the family health services and consultations on the transfer of a service that is currently the responsibility of health authorities.