§ 81. Mr. H. A. Priceasked the Minister of Health whether, in the interests of the National Health Service expenditure, he will investigate the price at which raw material supplied to him has been imported from the United States of America by dependent American companies operating in this country; to what extent he is satisfied that these import costs reflect the true industrial costs; and to 10W what extent the prices paid by his Department are proportionate to these industrial costs.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithRaw materials are not purchased by my Department, but are imported commercially for manufacturing purposes. The prices of most proprietary preparations used in the National Health Service are already regulated by a scheme agreed with the pharmaceutical industry, under which their reasonableness is assessed according to various alternative formulae.
§ 89. Sir M. Stoddart-Scottasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the activities of certain United States companies in claiming freedom to extract high prices from his Department for research, the cost of which is already included in royalties payable to their mother companies in the United States of America, and where no active research is done in the United Kingdom; whether he is satisfied that the high prices in question are not exorbitant; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithI am not sure exactly what my hon. and gallant Friend has in mind but I will, of course, he pleased to study any information he may have bearing on the prices paid for supplies to my Department.