HC Deb 04 December 1991 vol 200 cc134-5W
Mr. Gwilym Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of drugs prescribed by the NHS in Wales were tranquillisers; what was the cost; and what proportion that was of the total cost of drugs in(a) 1974, (b) 1979 and (c) at the latest available date.

Mr. Nicholas Bennett

Information on drugs which are solely tranquillisers could be obtained only at disproportionate cost for years succeeding 1974. The available information is given in the table.

1974 1979 1989
Proportion of Total Prescriptions
Tranquillisers 7.3 n/a n/a
Sedatives and tranquillisers n/a 6.9 2.8
Anti-depressants and sedative/tranquilliser combinations n/a 0.4 0.1
Cost (Net Ingredient—£ Thousands)
Tranquillisers 630.3 n/a n/a
Sedatives and tranquillisers n/a 1,546 1,376
Anti-depressants and sedative/tranquilliser combinations n/a 192.0 84.0
Proportion of Total Net Ingredient Cost
Tranquillisers 4.7 n/a n/a
Sedatives and tranquillisers n/a 3.9 1.0
Anti-depressants and sedative/tranquilliser combinations n/a 0.5 0.1