§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will take steps to ensure that the treatment of gastro-enterology does not include the use of deglycyrrhizinized liquorice preparations until an inquiry has been held into its efficacy as a treatment for peptic ulcers;
(2) if the claim for a medicine to be curative, as instanced in the example sent to him by the hon. Member for Willesden, West, is a breach of his agreement with the pharmaceutical industry; and if he will take action in this matter.
§ Sir K. JosephA number of published clinical studies have demonstrated the value of deglycyrrhizinized liquorice preparations in the management of peptic ulcer. In some other studies the therapeutic value of these preparations in certain types of peptic ulceration was not demonstrated. I do not consider that such negative findings provide sufficient grounds to justify any action on my part in respect of such preparations.