Written question asked by Sandra Gidley (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 22 March 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 2 April 2001. It was answered by Baroness Primarolo (Labour) on Monday, 2 April 2001 on behalf of the Treasury.

Treasury

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on dispensing fees for contact lens and spectacle dispensing from 1st June; To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to charge VAT rates on (a) medicine dispensing and (b) spectacle and contact lens dispensing; and if he will make a statement. - Inc fact that no plans to charge VAT.

Answer: Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on dispensing fees for contact lens and spectacle dispensing from 1 June; [155736] (2) what plans he has to charge VAT rates on (a) medicine dispensing and (b) spectacle and contact lens dispensing; and if he will make a statement. [155735] Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply. The Government have no plans to charge VAT on the specific dispensing services of pharmacists or opticians. A House of Lords ruling given in January this year in the "Card Protection Plan" case has far-reaching implications for the VAT treatment of supplies made by many businesses, where one supply is incidental to another.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 366 c40W; 155736;155735
Session: 2000-01
Subjects: Contact lenses Fees and charges NHS Ophthalmic services VAT Spectacles
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk