§ 18. Mr. Wainwrightasked the Minister of Health what preparations he is making to ensure that, if Great Britain joins the Common Market, Continental drags which would not pass British pharmaceutical tests will not be put on sale in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. PowellNone are necessary.
§ Mr. WainwrightIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that if we join the Common Market our chemists' shops may be flooded with cheap drugs in attractive packages? We have recently had a regrettable experience with the 19 drug thalidomide. Will he make certain that not only do we prevent the lowering of standards but that we increase our present standards?
§ Mr. PowellThe law and requirements apply equally to home and imported manufactured drugs.
§ 19. Commander Keransasked the Minister of Health what estimate he has made of the number of malformed babies who have been born as a result of the use of the drug Distaval.
§ Mr. PowellI am advised that there is no sound basis for any estimate at present.
§ Commander KeransRegardless of what the figures might be, surely the State has moral responsibility for these malformed children and should make some provision for new limbs and financial assistance, where necessary, in order to help them? This is man's mistake in society, and the State has the moral responsibility.
§ Mr. PowellThe appliances required by children born deformed are constantly being improved and every measure is being taken to see that they will be available to these children. There is a great deal that can be done in this way, and it should be widely known how much can be done.
§ 20. Commander Keransasked the Minister of Health how many new drugs have been approved for the National Health Service in the last 10 years; and how many have subsequently had to be withdrawn as unsatisfactory.
§ Mr. PowellThere is no such procedure.
§ Commander KeransWhatever may be said of the past, surely now is the time to look into the hole question of the introduction of new drugs into the National Health Service or elsewhere. Will my right hon. Friend give me an assurance that he will, in conjunction with the Home Secretary, look thoroughly into the question of the provision of new drugs? I appreciate, however, that the pharmaceutical industry is doing a good job, that this is the first disaster that has occurred for some years and that the industry must put a good deal of money back into research.
§ Mr. PowellI have already said that I am obtaining advice from my Standing Medical Advisory Committee on the testing of drugs generally.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that we are grateful to him for accepting a measure of responsibility in this way? How long does he expect the Committee to take, and will the report be published?
§ Mr. PowellThere is another question on that matter.
Mrs. SlaterIs it not time that sterner measures were taken to see that a drug is not put on the market until it has been efficiently tested? Is it not time that the Home Office and the Ministry of Health went into the whole question of testing drugs before they go on the market and before a disaster occurs? It is not good enough to have disasters first and then withdraw a drug after the damage has been done.
§ Mr. PowellThat is one of the questions at issue. Efficient testing of a new drug is a very difficult and complex concept.
§ 21. Mr. Fletcherasked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking in conjunction with the manufacturers of artificial limbs and by way of research to ensure that all possible help is given to minimise the handicaps which will be suffered by the children born deformed as a result of the use by their mothers of the drug thalidomide.
§ Mr. PowellThe Artificial Limb Research Centre is constantly experimenting and collecting information on new protheses for these and other types of limbless.
§ Mr. FletcherWill the Minister bear in mind that, as his hon. and gallant Friend the Member for The Hartlepools (Commander Kerans) said just now, there is very great concern about the future of these 500-odd deformed children who were born as the result of the use by their mothers of thalidomide? Is he aware that we are most anxious to ensure that all possible steps should be taken to alleviate the hardship which will inevitably be suffered?
§ Mr. PowellApart from the question of the figures, for which, as I have 21 already indicated, there is no adequate basis, I entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman
§ Mr. DribergIs the Minister aware of the encouraging results of experiments carried out in two universities in Western Germany, in orthopaedic clinics there? Will he also deal with a particular aspect of this problem—that it is not only a question of fitting these appliances, but also of how the children are to be taken to the clinics where the appliances now are, as the children are scattered all over the country?
§ Mr. PowellOn the last point, steps have been taken to ensure that the importance of early contact with the limb-fitting clinic is well understood. I am aware of the experiments to which the hon. Gentleman has referred, and I would re-emphasise that there has been a tremendous advance in this subject and there is a great deal that can be done.
§ 23. Mr. Dribergasked the Minister of Health if he will introduce legislation to enable compensation to be paid out of public funds where appropriate or to require drug manufacturers to pay compensation when otherwise appropriate to the mothers of babies born deformed as the result of use of certain drugs.
§ Mr. PowellNo, Sir.
§ Mr. DribergEven though those tragic cases may be due in part to the laissez faire policy of the Minister— [HON. MEMBERS: "No."]—certainly, they are—has he any reason to suppose that the manufacturers or indeed the distributors of the drug would wish to profiteer out of deformity?
§ Mr. PowellI hope that the hon. Member will repent at leisure over the terms of his supplementary question. It would not be right to extend the scope of the general law on compensation to cover cases of this kind, however deeply we may feel about them.
§ 26. Sir B. Jannerasked the Minister of Health what steps he has taken to ascertain from the United States of America and other countries what is the result of their investigations in respect of the effects on health of thalidomide and other dangerous drugs, and the steps 22 being taken by them to check the use of dangerous drugs in the future and to deal with affected cases; and if he will make a statement on his proposals to benefit from such information.
§ Mr. PowellI would refer the han. Member to my reply to his and other Questions on 23rd July.
§ Sir B. JannerCould the Minister say whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that Dr. Frances Kelsey in the United States actually prevented the use of drugs of a similar nature to the one which caused all the trouble here? What possible excuse can there be, after such a prevention has taken place, for us not to know that that prevention took place? What kind of arrangements has the Minister with various countries concerned so that he should be made aware of the fact that a drug, after having been tested by a responsible person, is found to be wanting?
§ Mr. PowellI have no doubt that the side effects of this drug, as soon as they were known in any country, were known here, and steps have been taken accordingly.
§ Sir B. JannerIs not the Minister aware that that is a very unsatisfactory answer? Does not the Minister realise that in fact the sale of this drug was stopped because of the fact that it was discovered by Dr. Frances Kelsey to have this serious nature? Would he investigate and see what he can do to have the information made available whenever anything of that nature occurs?
§ Mr. PowellThe hon. Member is misinformed. I have told the House, and I repeat, that as soon as these side effects were known anywhere, they were known here and appropriate steps were taken here.
§ Mr. EdelmanIs it not the case that as long ago as 1960 it was observed that one of the toxic side-effects of thalidomide was the production of polyneuritis, and that reports were made to that effect in the medical journals? Is it not the case that action was not taken until November, 1961, to prohibit the sale of the drug?
§ Mr. PowellBecause the prohibition of the sale was due to the discovery of 23 other side effects, and not those to which the hon. Member refers, which are not uncommon.
§ 34. Mr. Edelmanasked the Minister of Health what advice he has received from his standing Medical Advisory Committee on the question of the testing of new drugs generally; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PowellI cannot expect to receive this for some time.
§ Mr. EdelmanIs not the matter urgent? Has not the Minister's attention been drawn to the comments of high medical authorities in universities all over the country, and also in private practice, who point out that certain new drugs are being administered, especially to pregnant women, which may have dangerous and toxic side-effects? Has his attention been further drawn to the suggestion that, pending the setting up of a statutory commission of the kind suggested, no further new drugs should be administered to pregnant women? Will the right hon. Gentleman make a statement on that?
§ Mr. PowellThis is a matter entirely within the discretion of medical practitioners, who will be exercising their responsibility in deciding what to pre-scribe in relation to the patient's condition.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonWill the right hon. Gentleman now answer the supplementary question which he deferred a little earlier—whether this report is to be published when he receives it?
§ Mr. PowellIt is normal for the advice which I receive from my Standing Medical Advisory Committee to be published. Indeed, its proceedings are published. It will not be available for some time yet.