The cost of administration - means-testing and accounting for the cash paid at the pharmacy - for the 11% probably outweighs their contributions.Tubby Isaacs wrote:Found a reply to a FOIA on prescription charges.Eric_WLothian wrote: It was Panelbase that had to close its registration of Scottish-based panellists pre-referendum, due to an (alleged) co-ordinated influx of SNP sympathisers/members!
The SNP froze council tax long before the Tories thought of it - all part of the centralisation of power. (Local Authorities dependent on cash from Holyrood, single police force and fire service, state 'guardians' etc).
Free childcare to enable women to return to non-existent jobs, together with local income tax are just a couple of unfulfilled promises.
To be fair, I don't think the cost of providing free prescriptions is significant, given that most were free anyway (on the grounds of age or means-testing). Free university education has been at the expense of further education colleges.
As for buying a two-flights-a-day airport...
'chancers' is quite complimentary
Edited to add that there's something fishy about polls which cause Electoral Calculus to predict a close race between the SNP and LibDems in Orkney & Shetland.
Probably not a particularly large amount of money for prescriptions in Scotland then, but a source of income nonetheless. I'd certainly consider it rather than cuts.The estimated outturn for prescription charge income in England in 2007/08
is -L-421million. This does not include income from prescription charges
collected by dispensing doctors,
The total cost associated with the collection of prescription charges is
not separately identifiable and therefore no estimate of the net income to
the NHS can be made.
You're right about the amount of free prescriptions- getting on for 89% of them, per the same FOIA.
The FE cuts look appalling- this is were lower income people are far more likely to go that university. They also don't exactly square with the puffed up rubbish about Scotland being this upskilled, manufacturing place that's only being held back by us fools in England.
And, unlike Wales, the generosity seems to be limited to those studying in Scotland, which can't be good. Doubtless those who like the look of such places as Imperial College London are traitors of whom the Government can wash its hands.
My son went to an English university and, yes, I picked up the cost of the fees!