§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Eccles on 3 April, on what grounds the use of Depo Provera in connection with the support of pregnancy was removed from the product licence in 1978;
(2) what evidence was submitted to the Committee on Safety of Medicines to enable it to come to a decision to remove Depo Provera in connection with the support of pregnancy from the product licence; and if that evidence will be avail-
722Wand quickly. We have had a great many reports on the future of London. Meanwhile, the health services in London drift. We need to have action.
The members are:
able in published form to the medical pre fession or the general public;
(3) if the use of Depo Provera in p-port of pregnancy was regarded? successful or not successful by the Committee on Safety of Medicines;
(4) whose responsibility it is to inform the medical profession that the use of Depo Provera in the support of pregnancy is no longer licensed;
(5) what instructions have been issued by his Department to general practitioners and hospital doctors regarding the removal of the licence for Depo Provera in the support of pregnancy.
§ Dr. Vaughan[pursuant to his reply, 29 April 1980, c. 448–9]: The indications in product licence of right for Depo Provera, issued in 1971, included the treatment of habitual and threatened abortion. However, when an application for a full product licence was being considered in 1978, the company intimated that it no longer wished to promote the product for those indications. They were accordingly not considered by the Committee on Safety of Medicines, nor were they included in the licence subsequently granted. It is the responsibility of the company concerned to inform doctors, when appropriate, of changes in the licensed indications for use of its products. The licensing authority therefore has not advised doctors of the change in question.