§ Mr. Fisherasked the Minister of Health whether there has been a fall or a rise in the price index of pharmaceutical products during the past 10 years; and if he will compare this on a percentage basis with the overall price of the products of manufacturing industry as a whole during the same period.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonThe wholesale price index for pharmaceutical preparations, published by the Board of Trade, shows20W a rise of 4.1 per cent. between 1956 and 1966. This index is, however, based on a cross-section of products which were on the market in 1954, and does not reflect the many important new drugs which have been introduced subsequently. Over the same period the index for all manufactured products (home market sales) rose by 24.6 per cent.