§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy towards the Rayner proposal to sell computerised information to drug companies on the prescribing habits of individual general practitioners.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThis was not the proposal. We are consulting interested parties on a recommendation that we should sell analyses of prescribing on a national basis, or broken down by geographical area. We have made it clear, however, that to preserve confidentiality only aggregated data would be provided and that no information would be made available about prescribing by individual doctors or for individual patients.