To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she takes to monitor the controls applied by family health services authorities to ensure that general practitioners fulfil their contractual obligation not to issue unnecessary repeat prescriptions.

Guidance issued to regional health authorities for 1993–94—EL(92)74—emphasised that the clinical appropriateness of repeat prescribing was a key area to be addressed by general practitioners. Copies of the guidance are available in the Library. It is for regional health authorities to assess family health services authorities progress in monitoring these procedures.