§ Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans she has for increasing public accountability of the pharmaceutical industry.
§ Dr. OwenLast November I met the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and the Proprietary Association of Great Britain. I discussed our plans for a review of the safety, quality and efficacy of existing medicines and told them that I was seeking the advice of the Medicines Commission about the quality of advertisements of medicines and about the best methods of supplying doctors with information about medicines.
At the same time I expressed to the ABPI representatives my concern about levels of sales promotion and told them that I wished to discuss with them the proposition that sales promotion on home business should be substantially reduced. I also noted that the present Voluntary Price Regulation Scheme had reduced the previous high levels of profits, but I said that I was not convinced that our present statutory powers in reserve were adequate and that I would be discussing what further powers might be needed.
We have now heard from the Medicines Commission and hope to put firm proposals to the industry in the near future.
Notified unfilled vacancies Held at Employment Offices Held at Careers Offices Males Females Males Females Dunfermline November 1974 … … … 155 95 11 26 November 1973 … … … 238 20 30 20 November 1972 … … … 57 10 7 20 Inverkeithing November 1974 … … … 44 12 * * November 1973 … … … 35 5 * * November 1972 … … … 1 8 * * * The area covered by the Dunfermline careers office includes Inverkeithing.