§ Mr. Mayhewasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) for how long export certificates have been issued by his Department to exporters free of charge; for what reasons he has now imposed a charge of £3 for these certificates and what revenue he expects to receive from this charge in a full year;
1036W(2) what representations he has received concerning his decision to impose a charge of £3 for the issue of export certificates; and whether he will make a statement;
(3) for how long overseas status reports have been issued by his Department to exporters free of charge; for what reasons he has now imposed a charge of £5 for these reports; and what revenue he expects to receive from this charge in a full year.
§ Dr. OwenExport certificates were issued by the Ministry of Health—later the Department of Health and Social Security—and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on a non-statutory basis for a number of years prior to 1973 to assist pharmaceutical exporters in satisfying the requirements of other countries. From 1973 export certificates have been issued by these Departments on a statutory basis under the provisions of Section 50 of the Medicines Act 1968.
No charge was made until a £3 fee was imposed by regulations coming into operation on 6th March 1976 in accordance with Government policy of recovery of the costs of services provided. No fee is payable by firms which have already paid substantial licence fees under the Medicines Act. Revenue from this charge in a full year is expected to be £4,500.
No representations specifically against the levying of a fee for export certificates were received during consultation preceding the bringing in of the 1976 Fees Regulations and none has been received since then by either the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food nor the Department of Health and Social Security.