§ Mr. Pavittasked the Minister of Health (1) if he will give the total number of prescriptions and the estimated 39W cost to the National Health Service of meprobamate for each year since 1954;
(2) whether he will give an estimate of the use of meprobamate as a proportion of the total quantity of tranquillisers prescribed under the National Health Service for the last year to a convenient date.
40W
§ Mr. PowellI estimate that in 1961 there were about 870,000 prescriptions for meprobamate, with a net ingredient cost of about £320,000. These figures are about 15 per cent. and 13 per cent. respectively, of corresponding estimates for all tranquillisers. I regret that estimates for earlier years are not available.