Health Bill

I think the noble Baroness makes an extremely good point. Of course the Minister is right that access to medicines is important, and the desirability of assessing the needs of vulnerable communities and areas of social deprivation goes without saying. I am in complete agreement with him. But what grates with many pharmacy providers is the issue of price rather than the range of products available. The thought that a PCT could, in effect, engineer the level of prices of OTC medicines in an area, and thereby favour one provider against another, is one that they feel very strongly about. Although I cannot speak for them, I do not think that they would argue against the proposition that there should be adequate access to medicines. However, they take exception to the NHS trying to model the price profile of what they sell in their shop. We probably have some further debating to do on this, but in the interests of time, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendments Nos. 88 and 89 not moved.] Clause 34 agreed to. Clause 35 agreed to. Clause 36 [Provision of primary ophthalmic services]: