Labour last night seized on speculation by a Tory backbencher that five more years of Conservative Government would see the introduction of ''patient vouchers''.
Shadow Health Minister Tessa Jowell challenged Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell to say if he sanctioned the remarks of Government aide Nigel Evans.
Mr Evans, MP for Ribble Valley and parliamentary private secretary to Agriculture Minister Tony Baldry, spoke during a radio feature about how Britain might look in 2002 if the Tories won this election.
He told BBC Radio 4's World at One that all state schools would be grant maintained and local education authorities scrapped, saving on red tape and helping to cut the percentage of spending with which the Government was involved.
He continued: ''Then there is the introduction of vouchers for patients.
''It's patient power, which means that the total cost of a person's care will be met from the central exchequer but they will be allowed to go to certain GPs who they think are good, who are offering a good service, who are innovative, at the same time as lousy GPs and their surgeries fold.''
Ms Jowell pointed out that the Commons Education Select Committee recently criticised the nursery voucher scheme: ''There is no doubt that patient vouchers would be an even greater disaster.''
She added: ''Nigel Evans is a member of the Government, and is frequently put forward as a spokesman by Conservative Central Office, so there can be little doubt that his words represent official Tory thinking.''
Sources close to Mr Dorrell said last night that Mr Evans had not been speaking for the Government, adding: ''We have no plans to introduce vouchers for general NHS care.''
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