§ 15. Mr. Tugendhatasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the Monopolies Commission to report on the question of the supply of chlordiazepoxide and salts thereof and of diazepam and salts thereof, which he has referred to it; and whether he will undertake to make a statement when the report is received.
§ Mr. RidleyIt is too early to say when the report will be completed. It is the normal practice to inform the House when a report is received from the Commission.
§ Mr. TugendhatIs the Minister aware that these substances, unpronounceable as they are, are vallium and librium, two of the best-selling drugs ever known, and that there are grounds for concern over the profits made in relation to the supply of these drugs to the National Health Service and also grounds for concern over the prices charged by the foreign-owned pharmaceutical company in supplying these drugs to its British subsidiary, and finally, grounds for interest, at least, in the manner in which the foreign pharmaceutical company endeavours to allocate its tax commitments to countries with lower rates of tax, which do not include this country?
§ Mr. RidleyI share my hon. Friend's desire not to be put in a position where
| £ millions | |||||||||
| Jan./Sept. | |||||||||
| 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | |
| Telecommunications apparatus* | 82.2 | 83.4 | 83.1 | 90.9 | 95.2 | 108.5 | 116.0 | 138.4 | 120.5 |
| of which:— | |||||||||
| Telephone and telegraph equipment | 29.8 | 27.7 | 28.4 | 29.6 | 29.1 | 33.8 | 27.6 | 37.9 | 41.0 |
| * Includes television and radio receivers, telephone and telegraph equipment, microphones. Loudspeakers and amplifiers, radio communications apparatus, radio navigational aids and radar. |
§ I have to pronounce the names of these two chemicals. As for the rest of his supplementary, it is for the Monopolies Commission question consider these matters and not for me, now that a reference has been made. But of course the writ of British law and the Monopolies Commission does not extend beyond the shores of this country, so I am not sure whether it will be able to consider all the matters which he mentioned.