HC Deb 14 July 1972 vol 840 c472W
Mr. Pavitt

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has made it obligatory upon the licensing authority for the production of drugs to follow the advice of the Medicines Commission.

Mr. Alison

The Medicines Act, 1968, provides that the licensing authority shall not refuse to grant a product licence for a human medicinal product on grounds relating to safety, quality or efficacy except after consulting the Committee on Safety of Medicines. In practice, all substantive applications for new product licences have been referred to the committee and, subject to the operation of the appeal procedures under the Act, the authority has acted in accordance with its advice.