§ 36. Sir F. Fremantleasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the decision of the Pharmaceutical Society to institute proceedings under the Pharmacy and Poisons Act, 1933, against a co-operative society for selling at one of its grocery branches drugs commonly sold by grocers; whether such action was a departure from an arrangement observed between the Pharmaceutical Society and the Parliamentary Committee of Co-operative Congress since 1934; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonI am aware of the circumstances to which my hon. Friend refers. I am advised that a decision of the High Court makes it clear that a multiple shop company which sells poisons known as "Part I poisons" in one of its shops cannot sell any drugs whatever in any of its other shops, even as a subsidiary part of a grocery business carried on therein, unless the sale of the drugs is under the personal control of a registered pharmacist. I have been in communication with the Pharmaceutical Society who are charged with the enforcement of the provisions in question, and I understand that they feel unable, in view of this High Court decision, to adhere to the arrangement made in 1934. The strict application of the Act of 1933 to such cases would, in the view of the Government, impose an unreasonable restriction on departments, other than pharmaceutical departments, of cooperative societies and other multiple shop companies, and a Bill will be introduced at an early date to amend the Act on this point.
§ Sir F. FremantleWill such a Bill take great care not to interfere with the promised control of patent medicines?
§ Mr. MorrisonI will take that point into account in drafting the Bill.