§ Mr. Arnold Shawasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what reply she has sent to the Drug Dependency Discussion Group arising from the symposium held in Bradford by the King's Fund College on the representation it made to her to take urgent action on the high incidence of barbiturate addiction; and if she will make a statement on the problem generally.
§ Dr. OwenI am aware of the discussions at this group, which was attended by officials of my Department, but I have received no representations of the kind to which my hon. Friend refers. I can, however, assure him that the question of the misuse of barbiturates is being examined by a working group of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs under the chairmanship of my hon. Friend the Member for South Shields (Mr. Blenkinsop).