asked the Minister of Health whether he will take a fresh initiative to encourage general practitioners to adopt the appointments system for National Health Service patients.

I am anxious to encourage this practice and am considering how best this can be done.

Is the Minister aware that this system considerably reduces the waiting time for patients and also ensures for a doctor much better use of his surgery hours?

It is quite true. Of course, the hon. Gentleman will realise that it also involves more use of secretarial staff. The recent arrangements, which have been agreed in principle with the profession, for the direct partial reimbursement of salaries of ancillary staff will, I am sure, be a help in this respect.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the introduction of a system of this nature demands that the practitioner must inform all those who are on his list by letter of the change? Could he say whether or not he will encourage local executives to give some financial help for that part of the job, as well as for the individual who is doing work in the surgery?

I think it is for the individual practitioner to decide how best he can advise his patients of any change in his arrangements.

May I take this opportunity of congratulating the right hon. Gentleman? He brings great experience and knowledge to this field. We all wish him a happy, if not a long, tenure of office. On this Question—since my own Question is not likely to be reached—may I ask if he would agree that the question of method of payment of practitioners' expenses is very relevant, and would he confirm that it is a matter of great importance to make progress in this field?

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his kind remarks. Certainly I agree, most emphatically. Indeed, I have been saying it in this House for several years, and I am very glad to say that there is a very real chance of good progress being made in the fairly near future.