§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will investigate the practice of the
78WThese numbers relate to students and pupils at various stages of training and not solely to those who commenced training during the year.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate the number of (a) sisters, (b) staff nurses, (c) nurses and (d) any other nursing staff per 1,000 patients in each of the area health authorities; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe information requested could be made available only at disproportionate cost. The information for each regional health authority for 1981 is given in the following table:
export of drugs from the United Kingdom to other European countries and their subsquent re-import at costs lower than those applying through the National Health Service and pharmaceutical outlets; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeMedicines differ in price in various countries, as do most other products. In other European countries, prices of some medicines are lower than in the United Kingdom, while others are higher. The main reasons are currency fluctuations and the effects of each country's different price control systems.
Where the margin is attractive enough, re-import or import of equivalent medicines manufactured in the other countries takes place. Our paramount concern is the safety of these medicines and we are currently considering whether any changes are required to ensure that safety standards for re-imported and imported medicines are as high as they are for those manufactured and sold in Britain.