Devolution Matters

barcode
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Joined: Wed 29 Aug, 2007 19.36

Well with the number of days counting down to the Scottish elections next may well under way, and the Coalitions government now taking a lot of issues in a completely different direction down south, It does seem there going to be a lot more friction happening.

Always I have come across this: http://news.scotsman.com/news/Scots-are ... 6565095.jp

This is not going to help....

But it will be rather interesting to see if Toires can do any better with Tory government in power, I doubt it especial with the "defences carries" on hold or even killed off it may cause more trouble than its worth.

Dont worry there be plenty of boot kicking for Labour and SNP, later on.....
barcode
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Who did not see that coming. While in other minor news snp are trying to.sell of land brourght for the now scape glasgow airport rail link, labour have to go ahead with the project if there win.
Alexia
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As for the polling, Labour has 14% lead in latest constituency poll, and 12% lead in latest regional poll.
barcode
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Joined: Wed 29 Aug, 2007 19.36

Alexia wrote:As for the polling, Labour has 14% lead in latest constituency poll, and 12% lead in latest regional poll.
If the Greens and SSP. Far left wing could get its act together, it would be enought will cause real issues to lib dems and SNP on the list system.

Major Issues that is facing many up here but has been clearly swept under carpet, is FREE NHS prescription For all! From April 2011, instead of the current £3 here or £7 in england,

(Please not do not come back with "we subsidising bla" all this mean is snp are spending the money on free drugs in stead of cancer scanning etc )

Im not sure how on earth this can still go ahead.
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Nick Harvey
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It costs more to administer the Prescription Charge than it recovers.

The cost of the drugs never, effectively, comes into the equation.

The cheapest option is, therefore, to scrap it.
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m-in-m
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Nick Harvey wrote:It costs more to administer the Prescription Charge than it recovers.

The cost of the drugs never, effectively, comes into the equation.

The cheapest option is, therefore, to scrap it.
Why has the scheme never been scrapped or am I just expecting far too much common sense?

The only reason I can see is to discourage people stock piling drugs that aren't required.
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Nick Harvey
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It's always been more of a 'drugs tax' than a real charge for what you get, hence the fixed fee. When I statred paying it it was a shilling (5p for those who like dumbing down).

It stayed at a shilling for years and years, but then they started putting it up each year. Once it stopped being 'an easily affordable' shilling, they had to start introducing exceptions.

I'm now excepted on, at least, three counts; age and a couple of morbidities.

There are now so many people excepted that what does get collected in fees doesn't cover the cost of the PPA (or whatever it's called this week) and all the other administration of the system.

And a half decent doctor ought to be able to stop anyone stockpiling by actually reading repeat scripts before scribbling a signature on the bottom and not giving out another one twenty-eight days after the previous one for fifty-six days.

Eh, Tilly?
Alexia
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Joined: Sat 01 Oct, 2005 17.50

m-in-m wrote:
Nick Harvey wrote:It costs more to administer the Prescription Charge than it recovers.

The cost of the drugs never, effectively, comes into the equation.

The cheapest option is, therefore, to scrap it.
Why has the scheme never been scrapped or am I just expecting far too much common sense?

The only reason I can see is to discourage people stock piling drugs that aren't required.
West of the border in the Extension:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6513579.stm

Incidentally, taking the logic to its extreme: if Wales is the Extension to England, does that make Scotland the loft conversion?
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Nick Harvey
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Alexia wrote:Incidentally, taking the logic to its extreme: if Wales is the Extension to England, does that make Scotland the loft conversion?
Hehe! So I suppose you could regard North Sea Gas as the Solar Panel!
Chie
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