§ Mr. McCuskerasked the Secretary of State for Trade what are the standards which imported surgical products have to meet; and who is responsible for enforcing this standard.
§ Dr. OwenI have been asked to reply.
For products to be used for NHS purposes, the standards for imported and United Kingdom-manufactured items are the same. Certain imported products used in surgery have to meet the requirements of the Medicines Act in the same way as United Kingdom manufacturers; otherwise, purchases for the NHS need to meet the standards specified by my Department or by health authorities. The recommendation of my Department to all health authorities is that standards published by the British Standards Institution should be used where they exist.