§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if the Committee on Safety of Medicines permits members to adjudicate on drugs belonging to companies with which they are associated;
(2) how many members of the Committee on Safety of Medicines work on individual ad hoc projects; and how many members are paid on an annual or retainer basis;
(3) how members of the Committee on Safety of Medicines who are also employed as consultants by pharmaceutical companies are remunerated; and whether their remuneration is paid to them personally or to their employing institutions.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 30 January 1984, c. 109]: Members of the CSM other than the chairman are permitted to hold consultancies with or undertake ad hoc projects for pharmaceutical companies on a personal basis but must declare these interests to my Department. Three members of the committee have done so, all of whom are paid on an annual or retainer basis. Such interests must also be declared at each meeting of the committee when a product marketed by one of the companies concerned is under consideration by the committee and the members' declaration recorded in the committee's minutes. A member who has declared such an interest is not permitted to take part in the proceedings of the committee relating to that project. Members also customarily declare at meetings any arrangements under which pharmaceutical companies fund work or research posts in the department of the organisations that employ them, but in this case, since they have no personal financial interest, they can continue to take part in the proceedings of the committee when any product of the company concerned is under consideration.