National Health Service Act 1977

Control of maximum prices for medical supplies

57 Maximum price of medical supplies may be controlled

(1) The Secretary of State may by order provide for controlling maximum prices to be charged for any medical supplies required for the purposes of this Act.

(2) The Secretary of State may by direction given with respect to any undertaking, or by order made with respect to any class or description of undertakings, being an undertaking or class or description of undertakings concerned with medical supplies required for the purposes of this Act, require persons carrying on the undertaking or undertakings of that class or description—

(a) to keep such books, accounts and records relating to the undertaking as may be prescribed by the direction or, as the case may be, by the order or a notice served under the order;

(b) to furnish at such times, in such manner and in such form as may be so prescribed such estimates, returns or information relating to the undertaking as may be so prescribed.

(3) The additional provisions set out in Schedule 11 to this Act have effect in relation to this section ; and

• " medical supplies " in this section includes surgical, dental and optical materials and equipment; and

• " undertaking " in this section and that Schedule means any public utility undertaking or any undertaking by way of trade or business.