Written Answers To Questions
Thursday 20th November 1975
Prices And Consumer Protection
Spectacle Frames And Lenses
asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether she has any proposal for a further special reference to the Price Commission.
I am asking the Price Commission to examine and report on the prices charged by manufacturers, opthalmic prescription manufacturers, and opticians for the supply of spectacle frames and lenses, and of contact lenses, otherwise than under the National Health Service.
Social Services
Children At Risk
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when she is going to publish the report of the committee of inquiry into the provision and co-ordination of services to the family of John George Auckland; and if she will make a statement.
The report is published today and copies are available in the Vote Office. A copy has also been placed in the Library of both Houses of Parliament and I am circulating the report to all local authorities and area review committees.The background to this report is particularly tragic in that a man who was convicted of the manslaughter of one of his children subsequently after serving a prison sentence killed another. I am most grateful to the chairman, Mr. P. J. M. Kennedy, QC, and members of the committee of inquiry for their prompt and thorough report.In its report the committee of inquiry found that for most of the time the various people and agencies who helped the family did all that could possibly be expected but that there were occasions when the service given to the family faltered. I am asking the authorities concerned to consider what steps should be taken to remedy the shortcomings which have become apparent and to inform me of the action they decide upon. Since the main period of time covered by the report, multi-disciplinary area review committees, to co-ordinate local policy on non-accidental injury, have been established jointly in all local government areas in England and Wales, and case conferences to decide the action to be taken to protect a child injured or at risk of injury are now standard practice. I am looking urgently at the recommendations of the report and I intend to prepare guidance on matters covered by them including the interpretation of the section of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 relating to care proceedings, the importance of proper record keeping, the exchange of information between agencies and the need for specialist knowledge among members of the professions dealing with children at risk and adequate arrangements for supervision by senior staff. I am asking the bodies responsible to ensure that these matters are fully covered in professional training.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department is considering how existing arrangements can be extended so that information can be passed to social service departments on the release of all prisoners with convictions for child abuse. As the House knows, a new section was added to the Children Act 1975 at Report stage to make it possible to take care proceedings on the ground that someone convicted of an offence against a child is, or may become, a member of the same household as a child and this fulfils a recommendation made by the committee of inquiry.
Dental And Optical Treatment Charges
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make a statement on the financing of the NHS dental and optical services.
I have approved for introduction on 1st January 1976 the new scale of dentists 'fees recommended by the Dental Rates Study Group, which gives effect to the new target average net income recommended by the Doctors' and Dentists 'Review Body in April—which the Government have already accepted—and takes account of the substantial increases in dentists' expenses over the last year. Payments on account have, of course, already been made to dentists. Earlier the Government substantially increased opticians' NHS fees to improve their remuneration and to provide for their increased expenses, and have also had to allow increases in the reimbursed prices of lenses and frames. It has, therefore, become necessary to consider what adjustment in charges should be made.As a party we have always been opposed to the cost-related system of charges introduced by my Conservative predecessor, the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Leeds, North-East (Sir K. Joseph). This system not only leads to an automatic increase in dental charges as costs rise; it also means that in certain cases, such as patients needing extensive dental treatment, the rise in costs acts as a disincentive to treatment. That is why last year the Government decided to freeze dental and optical charges.This year, although the economic restraints mean that the additional cost of freezing charges yet again would put too great a burden on the funds of the NHS, the Government have decided to move back to the flat-rate basis of charges operated by previous Labour Governments and to introduce other improvements which will reduce the charge on those least able to pay and improve the provision of services under the NHS. I am, therefore, proposing to lay regulations to increase the revenue from both dental and optical charges while improving their incidence. The regulations will take effect on 1st January 1976.On the dental side I propose that a patient will in future pay
| (i) | a maximum charge of £3·50 for a course of treatment not including dentures, or the cost of the course of treatment if it is less; | |
| (ii) | for a denture bearing 1, 2 or 3 teeth | £5·40 |
| for a denture bearing 4 to 8 teeth | £6 | |
| for a denture bearing more than 8 teeth | £6·60 | |
| (iii) | a maximum of £12 for any course of treatment, including the supply of dentures. | |
On the optical side I have decided to increase the charges for frames so that they will, as under previous Labour Governments, represent the price of each frame as supplied to the optician.
We are also introducing flat-rate charges for spectacle lenses in place of the present cost-related charges which we have strongly criticised because they bear most heavily on patients with the most serious eyesight problems. For single-vision lenses, for which the charges now vary from £1·20 to £3·20 a lens, the new charge will be £2·25 for each lens; for bi-focal lenses, for which the charges now vary from £2·45 to £3·50 a lens, the new charge will be £4·25 or £5 a lense, according to type. This will mean an increase of the order of £2 to £3 a pair for the majority of patients who need relatively simple lenses, but the minority who need the most powerful and expensive lenses will not have much more to pay—indeed, for some there will even be a reduction.
In addition we propose to exempt altogether from these charges the registered blind and partially-sighted, many of whom can be helped by spectacles. This change will, however, have to wait until suitable legislation can be introduced.
I am also proposing a wide range of improvements in the provision for children. First I propose to make the plastic adult type NHS frame available free of charge to children. At present the only frames available to them free are wire or wire-ended frames; and I have no doubt that a good deal of distress is caused to children who feel self-conscious in such frames but whose parents cannot afford what they regard as the more attractive.
Secondly, glass lenses for children whose sight is very poor and in need of powerful correction are often heavy and not necessarily very attractive to the wearer—the so called "pebble" lenses. Plastics single-vision lenses can do exactly the same job without the same disadvantages of weight, and I am proposing that these should become available free to children with poor eyesight. This change and provision of the plastics adult frame for children will be introduced as soon as the necessary adjustments in production can be made, and we shall be discussing these with the industry. I am also proposing to remove the charge made for supplying contact lenses on clinical grounds to children—through the hospital eye service.
I have also been concerned at the failure of the NHS to provide an adequate range of attractive frames for adults which means that large numbers of people, including those on low incomes, have had recourse to privately supplied frames. In fact over 50 per cent. of patients obtaining their lenses under the NHS have had them fitted into new private frames, often at considerable expense. I am convinced that it should be possible to provide a choice of attractive, modern frames at reasonable cost under NHS arrangements and so reduce the amount so many people at present pay for private frames and I am opening negotiations with the industry and the profession in order to secure their co-operation in achieving this.
There has also been widespread and growing concern about the high prices charged for privately supplied spectacle frames and lenses, including contact lenses. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection has announced today that she has referred these prices to the Price Commission for investigation. I believe that this reference will help to meet this concern.
I should emphasise that many people, in particular those in receipt of supplementary and certain other benefits, and children—and in the case of dental charges, expectant mothers and women who have had a child within the previous 12 months—are automatically exempted from these charges. There are many others who qualify for help with charges on grounds of low income, and I am proposing to introduce a special concession at the same time as the new charges to extend the scope of this help. The margin above supplementary benefit level taken into account in assessing income of people claiming help with charges will be increased from £1·50 to £2·50. This together with the increase from £2 to £4 in the amount of earnings disregarded from 17th November will mean that more people with low incomes will be relieved of the whole or part of the charges.
These changes will have the effect of removing some of the anomalies which exist at present and of making the basis on which these charges are assessed move socially just.
Their net effect will be to provide an additional £16 million from charges for the provision of dental and optical services in Great Britain in a full year.
Environment
Housing Co-Operatives
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish the Final Report of the Working Party on Housing Co-operatives, chaired by Mr. Harold Campbell; what steps he proposes to take to implement the report; and what further measures he has in mind to encourage alternative forms of social ownership and tenure.
I hope to publish the Final Report of the Working Party on Housing Co-operatives chaired by Harold Campbell next month. Although some of its recommendations will have to be considered in conjunction with our housing finance review, others will not await this. It is Government policy to seek the establishment of tenants' co-operatives where practicable in local authority and housing association estates and as part of their municipalisation programme.At the same time as the working party's report is published we will issue a Departmental circular of guidance about the setting up of housing co-operatives. In accordance with the working party's recommendations I have asked the Housing Corporation to assume overall responsibility for sponsoring and advising co-operatives under the guidance of an advisory committee, the membership of which I hope to announce shortly.I have been considering additional forms of social ownership and tenure and have now asked Mr. Campbell to chair a new working group to carry this work a stage further, with the following terms of reference:
"To consider new forms of social ownership, tenure and management, and methods by which wider opportunities may be provided for individuals to share in the ownership and management of their homes, taking account of the Report by the Working Party on Housing Cooperatives, and to make recommendations."
The following have agreed to serve as members of the working group: Sir
Dennis Pilcher, Mr. Derek Wood, Mr. Robert Gardner, Mr. Harry Simpson, Mr. John Baker, Councillor Clive Wilkinson, Councillor Mrs. Pat Hollis, Mr. Michael Harloe, Mrs. Monica Ferman, Mr. J. W. Hughes, assisted by officials from the Department.
I have asked the group to make a preliminary report to be considered as part of our housing finance review.
The working group will examine among other things, the scope for various forms of share equity arangements, individual or group leasing of rented dwellings; and various forms of local authority and housing association leasing of private rented dwellings, on which Sir Dennis Pilcher and Mr. Derek Wood will report specifically.
Education And Science
Workers Educational Association
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to help the Workers Educational Association in its present financial difficulties.
Subject to parliamentary approval I am making available a sum of up to £0·25 million as additional grant in the current educational year. I am also providing £38,000 immediately to help those districts having deficits at the end of the 1974–75 educational year which they are unable to meet.
Construction Industry
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how he proposes to distribute the £4 million of capital authorisation for education in England which was announced as part of the Government's measures to help provide employment in the construction industry; and if he will make a statement.
Authorisation will be given for building work which accords with the Government's priorities such as facilitating the reorganisation of secondary education, improving fire precautions, educational and amenity improvements in schools, and energy saving measures. My Department is approaching local education authorities in the assisted areas to authorise additional work of this nature of £3·75 million. £250,000 will be made available to universities for work of similar priority.