Selected List Scheme (Hansard, 28 April 1995)

§ Mrs. Beckett
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations her Department has had with the Department of Trade and Industry over the implications to United Kingdom investment of the selected list scheme. [20629]

§ Mr. Malone
There are regular discussions between Government Departments, including the Department of Trade and Industry, and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry about matters of mutual concern.

§ Mrs. Beckett
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what change there has been in the level of industry investment into the seven therapeutic areas listed on the 1984 selected list scheme since the announcement of the categories. [20630]

§ Mr. Malone
This information is not available centrally.

§ Mrs. Beckett
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what medical basis there is for retaining the category of contraception within the remit of the Advisory Committee on NHS Drugs. [20638]

§ Mr. Malone
The basis for asking the Advisory Committee on NHS Drugs to continue to review the therapeutic categories covered by the selected list scheme remains that there should be drugs to meet all real clinical need on NHS prescription as economically as possible.

§ Mrs. Beckett
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on what basis, and by whom, the category of contraception was chosen as one of the selected list of scheme categories. [20639]

§ Mr. Malone
Ministers decided which categories of drugs should be covered by the selected list scheme on the basis that they included a range of products at varying price levels which offered scope for savings while enabling all real clinical need to be met.

§ Mrs. Beckett
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the hormonal contraceptives to be blacklisted under the current selected list scheme. [20640]

§ Mr. Malone
There are no plans to remove any hormonal contraceptive products from general practitioner prescription under the selected list scheme.

§ Mrs. Beckett
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans her Department has to remove the category of contraception from the selected list scheme. [20641]

§ Mr. Malone
None.

§ Mrs. Beckett
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans there are to extend the number of categories under the remit of the selected list scheme. [20642]

§ Mr. Malone
None.

§ Mrs. Beckett
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on what basis the Advisory Committee on NHS Drugs makes the decision that an oral contraceptive(a) offers a therapeutic benefit and (b) meets a clinical need; [20643]
(2) how the Advisory Committee on NHS Drugs makes the decision that the range of oral contraceptives available 721W on the NHS is sufficient to take into account the individual needs of women. [20644]

§ Mr. Malone
The Advisory Committee on NHS Drugs is composed of a number of independent medical and pharmaceutical experts. It makes its recommendations on the basis of the clinical and scientific knowledge and experience of these members and after examining the relevant published information and any evidence submitted by the manufacturers of the drugs under review.