HC Deb 16 April 1985 vol 77 cc126-7
7. Mr. Meadowcroft

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he intends to introduce regulations governing the rights of volunteers and their dependants undertaking drug trials.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

We have no plans to do so at present.

Mr. Meadowcroft

The Minister will be aware of the case of Philip Jones, although he may not be able to comment on that specific case. Is there not a case for having regulations to ensure that drug companies pay a bond or take out some sort of insurance against the need to pay compensation when poor people are induced to volunteer because of the small rewards offered by the drug companies?

Mr. Clarke

Obviously I cannot comment on the Welsh case, because we are still awaiting an inquest. I was concerned about the death about a year ago of a volunteer in Dublin and answered questions on that subject from the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) and other hon. Members. The rules are being reviewed by the Royal College of Physicians. I hope that the Medicines Commission will examine the results of the review and advise us whether improvements are needed. The industry's present code allows for compensation to be paid if trials have harmful results. Obviously, no one knows yet whether this Welsh case arises from a trial.

Mr. Ashley

Is the Minister aware that he cannot shrug off responsibility just like that? There is a need for an independent assessing body to ensure that there is full information about all these drug trials and that the volunteers know about the risks involved and the nature of the drugs. That is very important.

Mr. Clarke

With respect, I do not think that I am shrugging off responsibility. The Medicines Commission is an independent body which has already advised us that it does not think that legislation is required. It will look at the updating of the guidance provided by the various bodies. I agree with the right hon. Gentleman that volunteers must be genuine volunteers, who are fully warned about what they are doing. They must not be induced by financial offers to participate in trials.

Mr. Meacher

Following the tragic death of Philip Jones, is the Minister aware that the pharmaceutical industry's guidelines are repeatedly breached because vulnerable groups such as the unemployed are regularly used for these experiments? Is the hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the ethical committees which the drug companies have set up to supervise such experiments often comprise their friends and associates? Is the hon. and learned Gentleman aware that no monitoring of disablement or injury caused by these experiments is kept and that drug companies from abroad are flocking to this country for this purpose, precisely because this sensitive area is unregulated? Will the hon. and learned Gentleman, as a matter of urgency, assure the House that he will introduce statutory regulations to govern this key area?

Mr. Clarke

I am not aware of any of those aspects. I should be interested to know whether there is any evidence to support any of the hon. Gentleman's assertions. I would certainly take a serious view of any suggestion that the guidance was not being followed, that other mistakes were being made or that volunteers were being put at risk. Every organisation that has examined this matter, including the Medicines Commission and the Royal College of Physicians, has said that statutory regulation is not required.