§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report the subscription journals he regards as exempt from the proposed restrictions on promotion expenditure by the drug industry.
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§ Mr. EnnalsMy right hon. Friend has made it plain to the pharmaceutical industry that we want a substantial reduction in the level of expenditure on sales promotion which is allowed as a cost, under the Voluntary Price Regulation Scheme, in assessing whether a company's profits are reasonable. At the same time, we are prepared to exclude from this limitation advertising in journals which derive or will derive a significant part of their income from subscriptions. No list of individual publications can be prepared until we have completed our discussions with the industry and thereafter with other interested parties. I should like to make it clear now, however, that in spite of reports to the contrary, advertisements in theBritish Medical Journal will be free from the proposed limitation.