§ Mr. Oakesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will ensure that harmful or addictive drugs are not sold at auctions of Government surplus supplies; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what price was paid for supplies of the drug mepromate sold in public auctions of Government supplies in the last 12 months.
(3) if the drug mepromate is available to the public except on the prescription of a medical practitioner; and what quantities of that drug have been sold to the public from Government supplies without a prescription;
(4) what was the quantity, and what was the market value of the drug mepromate sold in the last 12 months at auctions of Government surplus supplies.
Mr. Edward M. Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to review the inclusion of drugs in sales of Government surplus stocks; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CrossmanMeprobamate is scheduled under the Poisons Rules and may be supplied to the public only on presentation of a prescription issued by a qualified practitioner. So far as I am 205W aware, no Government supplies of the drug have been disposed of to the public in the last 12 months, whether by public auction or otherwise. Drugs are rarely available for sale as Government surplus stores and in both my Department and the Ministry of Defence arrangements exist to ensure that they are made available only to bodies which are permitted by law to supply, possess or procure them. I understand that the sale of meprobamate reported recently in the Press was not a sale of surplus Government stores but of unentered goods held in the Queen's Warehouse; and that the procedure for dealing with drugs in such cases is under review.