SCRAP Prescription Charges
The weblog of the Scottish Campaign to Remove All Prescription Charges. Keeping you updated on all the news about Colin Fox MSP's bill to the Scottish Parliament.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Lib Dems backing free prescriptions
The Herald
FREE prescriptions should be a Liberal Democrat condition of the next coalition talks, according to the party's health spokesman, piling further pressure on fraught relations between the Scottish Executive parties.
Mike Rumbles has backed an idea being pursued by the Scottish Socialist Party, with a bill that three Liberal Democrat MSPs have signed up to.
That makes it likely that the £45m annual bill for such a policy will be a demand made by LibDems if there is to be another coalition negotiation between them and Labour after the 2007 election.
Both Jack McConnell, the first minister, and Andy Kerr, the Labour health minister, last week rubbished the SSP proposal as unaffordable.
However Mike Rumbles, LibDem health spokesman, argues that the idea is "eminently sensible and perfectly affordable from his party's perspective".
But he said the party is not going to vote for the SSP bill because it is not part of the partnership agreement made after the 2003 election.
That coalition deal means that there will be a review of prescription charges for full-time students and for the range of chronic conditions for which prescriptions are free – which was last reviewed in 1968 and covers only a few illnesses.
"As with free personal care for the elderly, health provision should be free at the point of need," said Mr Rumbles. "I shall certainly be pushing for this to be in the 2007 manifesto. The Labour party wants targeted benefits, but we believe that you should have health benefits freely available to all."
Mike Pringle, the LibDem Edinburgh South MSP, one of those who has signed the SSP bill, said he could not vote for it because of the coalition commitment, but that he would push for it to be in the next partnership agreement.
He added: "You shouldn't be charging people for drugs anyway. We're not talking about a huge amount of money, so let's just make it simple and save people the hassle and administration cost." An estimated 50% of Scots are liable for prescription charges, though only one in 10 prescriptions is paid for.
The call will raise pressure between Labour and their coalition partners in the election run-up, with both parties eager to project distinctive messages to voters.
LibDems, who claim credit for forcing Labour to introduce free personal care for the elderly in Scotland, this week threatened to vote down a ministerial attempt to let Westminster legislate for new trespass laws.
