Contraceptive move lost

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33252, 15 June 1973, Page 5

Contraceptive move lost

(N.Z. Press Assn. —Copyripht; LONDON, June 14. An attempt to have family-planning services provided free under the National Health Service was defeated in the House of Commons yesterday by 117 votes. An amendment to the National Health Service Reorganisation Bill, moved by a Labour M.P., Mr Laurie Pavitt (Willesden), was defeated by 243 votes to 126 during the report stage of the bill. The Secretary of Social Services (Sir Keith Joseph) said that prescription charges were normal for other medicines, apart from certain exemptions, and therefore should be normal for contraceptives. “There is no evidence that the 20p (about 39c) charge! will deter those people who would take the trouble to seek prescriptions if the supplies were free,” he said. “RECENT WEEKS” A Conservative M.P., Mr John Stokes, had argued strongly for the Government’s provision for contraceptives on prescription to be left out of the bill altogether. “I would have thought the events of the last few weeks would have made the Government more cautious,” he 'said.

! “I think the Secretary of State and supporting Ministers are men of the highest integrity and that the last thing they desire is any : lowering of moral standards. But that, I fear, will be the inevitable consequence of this clause if passed as it is.” He would not object to the ■service being provided for (married people. “But because the clause includes single people, this makes nonsense of the headling ‘family planning'.” Supporting him, Mr Ronald Bell (Conservative), said: i “Illegitimate births are caused by recklessness, carelessness, drunkenness, and incompetence — but never I by lack of money to buy appliances.” “ONCE LOOSE . . .” And Mrs Jill Knight (Conservative) argued: “There are many areas where money would be better spent than on totally free family planning — there is a need for more kidney machines, for example.” Replying, Sir Keith Joseph said: “What we are doing will not lead to extreme results. Loose and casual people are not made loose and casual by the availability of contraceptive supplies, whether they are free or whether they cost 20p. “Loose and casual people do not take the trouble to equip themselves.”