§ Mr. Alexander Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why it is necessary to import from the United States of America sterile solution in plastic bags for use in Health Service hospitals; what is the cost of these imports; and what steps are being taken to find a United Kingdom producer.
§ Mr. MoyleVirtually all sterile fluids for the National Health Service are produced in this country either by hospitals themselves or by three commercial suppliers. There were some imports from the United States of America for a period up to March this year during a temporary production shortage, and some of these products may still be in the distribution chain.
The only items now being imported are a very small quantity of special solutions for which demand is insufficient to justify commercial production here. I regret that information about the cost of importing these items is not readily available.
§ Mr. Alexander Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of medicines and dispensable materials used in Health Service hospitals and medical centres is imported; and what steps are being taken to find United Kingdom manufacturers for these items.
§ Mr. MoyleThe proportion of imported medicines and dispensable materials used in National Health Service hospitals and medical centres is not readily identifiable. My Department is currently considering with the Pharmaceuticals Sector Working Party how best to encourage companies to focus attention on import substitution investment.