§ Mr. Nicholas Bakerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what drugs are purchased by the National Health Service from the Soviet Union and Soviet satellite countries; and if he will review the policy of purchasing drugs from these countries.
§ Dr. VaughanThe information requested is not held centrally and would be costly to obtain. However, imports of human and veterinary medicinal and pharmaceutical products from the Soviet Union, East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Rumania and Bulgaria totalled £1.2 million in 1979, representing 0.55 per cent. of the total imports of these products into the United Kingdom.
My right hon. Friend is in process of setting up a supply council to review NHS purchasing policies.