§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answers of 20 January, Official Report, c. 197, if he will give the totals for all companies supplying medicine to the National Health Service to the value of more than £1.5 million of (a) expenditure on research and development, (b) expenditure on marketing and (c) profits; and if he will express each of these as a percentage of the overall turnover of those companies.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIn 1980, companies supplying medicines to the National Health Service to the value of £1.5 million or more spent £144 million on research and development and £105 million on sales promotion. Our Department assessed profits as £140 million including expenditure disallowed. This represents a percentage on turnover of 16.2 per cent., 11.8 per cent. and 15.8 per cent. respectively. Expenses and profits relating to export sales and sales of medicines direct to the public are excluded.