§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if the increase in cost of the National Health Service of 100 tablets of Septrin from £5.94p in January 1977 to £7.43p in January 1978, and of 500 tablets of Septrin from £27 to £33.75p comes within the guidelines of the Government's anti-inflation policies; and if he will place in the Library the evidence which allows these increases within the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme:
(2) if the increase in cost to the National Health Service of 100 capsules or tablets of Valium, 2 mg., from 21p in January 1976 to 92p in January 1978, of 500 capsules or tablets of Valium, 5 mg., from £1.23p to £5.42p, of 100 capsules or tablets of Valium, 5 mg., from 30p to £1.31p, and of 500 capsules or tablets of Valium from 83p to £3.65p, respectively, comes within the guidelines of the Government's anti-inflation policies; and if he will place in the Library the evidence which allows these increases within the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme;
(3) if the increase in cost to the National Health Service of 100 capsules or tablets of Librium, 2 mg., from 21p in January 1976 to 92p in January 1978 and of the cost of 500 capsules or tablets of from £3.08p to £4.92p comes within the guidelines of the Government's anti-inflation policies; and if he will place in the Library the evidence which allows these increases within the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme;
(4) if the increase in cost to the National Health Service of 20 capsules of Penbritin, 250 mg., from £3.93p in January 1977 to £4.52p in January 1978 comes within the guidelines of the Government's anti-inflation policies; and if he will place in the Library the evidence which allows this increase within the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme;
(5) if the increase in cost to the National Health Service of 50 capsules of Instal Co from £3.33p in January 1977 to £4.21p in January 1978 comes within the guidelines of the Government's anti-inflation policies; and if he will place in the Library the evidence which allows this increase within the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme;
176W(6) if the increase in cost to the National Health Service of 100 tablets of tryptizol, 25 mg., from £1.40p in January 1977 to £1.92p in January 1978 comes within the guidelines of the Government's anti-inflation policies; and if he will place in the Library the evidence which allows this increase within the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme;
(7) if the increase in cost to the National Health Service of 100 capsules of indocid, 25 mg, from £3.69p in January 1977 to £4.90p in January 1978 comes within the guidelines of the Government's anti-inflation policies; and if he will place in the Library the evidence which allows this increase within the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme;
(8) if the increase in cost to the National Health Service of 100 tablets of distalgesic from 88p in January 1977 to 110p in January 1978 comes within the guidelines of the Government's anti-inflation policies; and if he will place in the Library the evidence which allows this increase within the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme;
(9) if the increase in cost to the National Health Service of 100 tablets of Aldomet, 250 mg, from £3.50p in January 1977 to £4.20p in January 1978, and of 500 tablets of Aldomet, 500 mg, from £6.80p to £8.20p, comes within the guidelines of the Government's anti-inflation policies; and if he will place in the Library the evidence which allows this increase within the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme.
§ Mr. MoyleI can confirm that these price increases, subject to the corrections noted below, were approved within the guidelines of the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme which operates to control public expenditure on medicines supplies for the National Health Service. The guidelines under which the Scheme operates are subject to the Government's overall control of public expenditure as part of general anti-inflation policy.
In 1977, price increases approved under the PPRS amounted to 16.1 per cent. of the value of the industry's sales, compared with an increase in the retail price index of 15.9 per cent. Over the four-year period from 1974 until 1977 the increase in medicine prices was 86 per 177W cent. compared with the increase in the retail price index of 94.2 per cent.
Under the scheme, price increases are based on financial information, including information on costs profits and capital employed, supplied in confidence. This detailed information, which is not available in published accounts, is of commercial value and could not be published without a breach of confidence. A copy of the scheme is in the Library.
The following points might be noted:
I will write to my hon. Friend about certain other points of detail.
- (a) on 1 January 1976 the prices of 100 and 500 tablets of Septrin were increased from £4.40 and £20, the prices fixed in 1968, to £5.94 and £27 respectively, and on 1 January 1977 these prices were increased to £7.43 and £33.75.
- (b) there are no 2 mg capsules or tablets of Librium. The price of 92p quoted is the price for 100 2 mg tablets of Valium.
- (c) Penbritin is not sold in packs of 20. The prices quoted are for packs of 100.
- (d) the price of 100 250 mg tablets of Aldomet was £6.83 in January 1977 and was increased to £8.20. The corresponding prices of 500 Aldomet 500 mg tablets were £33.56 and £40.30.