Lord TAYLORasked Her Majesty's Government:
What negotiations, if any, there have been between the Department of Health and Social Security and the pharmaceutical industry with a view to restricting pharmaceutical advertising; whether, in any such negotiations, proposals have been put forward for restricting advertising in medical journals; and whether any proposals have been made for differential advertising arrangements, so as to benefit some journals at the expense of others.
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL: In discussions with the pharmaceutical industry the Government are looking for a substantial reduction in the level of sales promotion expenditure (of which advertising is only a part) which is allowed as a cost, under the Voluntary Price Regulation Scheme, in assessing whether a company's profits are reasonable. It is however proposed to exclude from this limitation advertising in journals which derive or will derive a significant part of their income from subscriptions. Despite reports to the contrary, advertisements in the British Medical Journal would be free from the proposed limitation.
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