Drugs (Purchases) (Hansard, 19 July 1965)

§ 17. Dr. Wyndham Davies
asked the Minister of Health on how many occasions and what amount of public money has been expended on purchasing drugs produced by Messrs Biorex, DDDSA Pharmaceuticals, or Inter-Continental Pharmaceuticals Limited.

§ Mr. K. Robinson
In the last two years, two central contracts were placed with one of these firms and 39 contracts were placed with one or other of them by hospital authorities. The total value of all these contracts was approximately £300,000. Information is not available about sales of the firms' products to the pharmaceutical service.

§ Dr. Davies
Is the Minister aware that these companies, these mushroom companies, have grown up as a result of the breaching of the Patent Act, Sections 41 and 46, and that one of these companies sold a life-saving drug for children which was 30 per cent. below strength? Will he not be deflected in his efforts by the business interests of two of his hon. Friends, the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, Central (Sir B. Stross) and for Leek (Mr. Harold Davies)?

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I do not understand what that is meant to mean. That part of the question had better be withdrawn.

§ Dr. Davies
With respect, Mr. Speaker, the hon. Gentlemen mentioned were directors of one of these companies and I wanted to make that point clear.

§ Mr. Speaker
The implication, prima facie, underlying the hon. Gentleman's words is that they were exercising themselves as directors improperly to influence the Minister in his duties. The hon. Gentleman must make it quite plain that he is making no such allegation whatsoever.

§ Dr. Davies
I make no such allegation.

§ Mr. Robinson
In view of the hon. Member's supplementary question, I hope that the House can assume, since he has 1096 declared no interest, that he himself has not had an association or has no association with the pharmaceutical industry? Perhaps I can tell him, in order to put it on the record, that my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, Central (Sir B. Stross) resigned his directorship of Messrs. Biorex on becoming a Minister. My other hon. Friend referred to resigned his directorship in April, 1959.

§ Mr. Thorpe
With regard to one of the firms, Biorex, is it not a fact that this firm has spent a lot of money in valuable research and that it has carried out a considerable amount of price cutting on drugs to the benefit of the public as a whole? Is it not unfortunate that the hon. Gentleman the Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Dr. Wyndham Davies), who I believe shares the hostility of the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry to this firm, because it is not a member of that association, is himself retained as one of their advisers, and is the senior medical adviser of Nicholas Laboratories, Ltd., which is one of the main competitors of Biorex?

Hon. Members
Disgraceful.

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. It is of the greatest importance in the interests of the House that there should be complete cesser of this implication that hon. Members on one side of the House or the other are activated by wrong motives. It must be so in the interests of the House. I do not think that it is for the Minister to express a view on the question put to him, which was whether such and such a matter was unfortunate. That asks him to express an opinion on a matter for which he is not responsible.

§ Mr. Robinson
On a point of order. Would it not have been appropriate for the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Dr. Wyndham Davies) to have declared an interest if the statement was correct before asking the supplementary question?

§ Mr. Speaker
I am not to say what is appropriate or not. But the practice of the House does not require an hon. Member to declare an interest on asking a question. The rule does not apply to that.

§ Dr. Davies
On a point of order. I am not retained by the Association of British 1097 Pharmaceutical Industry and I am not associated with the pharmaceutical industry, otherwise I should have withdrawn.

Hon. Members
Withdraw.

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. That does not raise a point of order. It is a correction of a point of fact made by an hon. Member who takes responsibility for the fact stated in his question. But all this is far from our business.

§ Mr. Thorpe
On a point of order. The hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Dr. Wyndham Davies) has given certain information to the House. I note that there is no withdrawal or suggestion that I was in any way inaccurate in one of the suggestions made. With regard to the second—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. The hon. Member must be careful not to repeat by implication what I have indicated I regard was an undesirable practice.

§ Mr. Rankin
On a point of order. In view of the Ruling which you have just given, Mr. Speaker, in regard to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Dr. Wyndham Davies), do you recollect that language of a stupid and silly nature was used by the hon. Member for Orpington (Mr. Lubbock) in respect of a number of perfectly good people who hold contrary views to the remnant of a great party?

§ Mr. Speaker
One might attract the accusation "stupid" if one thought that that point of order arose on this Question.

§ Sir Knox Cunningham
You asked the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Dr. Wyndham Davies) to withdraw, Mr. Speaker, and he did. Another allegation which you thought was improper was made by the hon. Member for Devon, North (Mr. Thorpe). Would it not be advisable if he withdrew it?

§ Mr. Speaker
It is so far back that I have forgotten what it was. I do not propose to pursue the matter further. I want the House to get on.

§ Mr. Robinson
Perhaps I could answer the first half of the supplementary question of the hon. Member for Devon, North (Mr. Thorpe). According to my information, it is quite correct that 1098 Messrs. Biorex have manufacturing capacity and some research facilities in this country, whereas the other two firms mentioned in the Question rely entirely on imports from abroad.