To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of the essential small pharmacies scheme on the numbers of rural pharmacies; [11151](2) how many pharmacies in England received payment under the essential small pharmacy scheme in
(a) 1994 and (b) 1997 broken down into (i) metropolitan boroughs, (ii) shire counties and (iii) London; [11149]
(3) what proposals he has to support rural pharmacies. [11150]
The essential small pharmacy scheme exists to provide financial support to pharmacies located more than 1 km from the next nearest pharmacy and which dispense fewer than 18,636 national health service prescriptions in a year. Rural pharmacies can take advantage of the scheme.The pharmacies in the scheme are split into metropolitan boroughs and shire counties as set out in the table.
| 30 September 1994 | 30 September 1996 | |
| England and Wales | 283 | 276 |
| England | 257 | 249 |
| of which located in: | ||
| Metropolitan boroughs | 34 | 36 |
| Shire counties | 197 | 179 |
| London | 26 | 34 |
| Wales | 26 | 27 |