West Lothian Council has hit out at Boots over its prescription delivery charges.
The council unanimously backed two motions raised by SNP councillors over prescriptions, as well as charges for TV licences.
The SNP group depute leader Councillor Frank Anderson raised a motion to the full council this week questioning a decision by the high street chain.
In September it introduced a charge of £5 per item or an annual charge of £55 to deliver prescriptions.
Councillor Anderson described this charge as a “stealth tax on the most vulnerable in our society”.
He called on the council to write to the firm, which is owned by an American conglomerate, in protest, and to ask CoSLA and the Scottish Government to investigate ways to oppose the charges. Council agreed.
Fellow group member Councillor Diane Calder also thanked Labour and Tory councillors for backing her motion to restore free TV licences for over 75s.
The BBC was given responsibility for funding the free TV licence by the government and was recently forced to announce that it would charge all older people save for those on Pension Credit for a TV licence. A TV licence costs £154.50 annually.
Her motion said: “Council believes the Westminster government should resume its responsibility for funding the scheme and resolves to write to the Secretary of State for Digital Culture, Media and Sport to request the Westminster government to reinstate funding.”
