asked the Minister for Health if he will consider making medical cards available to all those suffering from long term illness.

Medical cards are issued to those who, in the opinion of the chief executive officer of a health board are unable to provide general practitioner services for themselves and their dependants without undue hardship. In determining eligibility chief executive officers take into account the financial and other circumstances of applicants. Those suffering from long term illnesses which give rise to substantial medical and drugs expenditure would have such cost taken into account and, indeed, viewed sympathetically by health boards. Those suffering from one of a schedule list of long term illnesses have drugs and appliances prescribed for that condition supplied free of charge. As part of their continuing review of patients' circumstances, health boards may issue a medical card rather than a long term illness book to patients suffering from one of the scheduled conditions where their financial and other circumstances would warrant this.