§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the most recent figures for the distribution of health expenditure for each English region, expressed in per capita terms and categorised according to (a) hospital services expenditure, (b) community health and family practitioners' services expenditure and (c) total expenditure.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe figures for 1983–84 are as follows:
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe propose to produce a list of drugs prescribable on the NHS which will meet all clinical needs so there will be no medical reason for any patient to require another medicine. The retail prices of medicines are a matter for the drugs industry and pharmacists and other suppliers.
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§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the representations he has had from organisations and individuals in the medical profession claiming lack of consultation with them prior to his making available his intention to bring forward limited list prescribing.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke362 of the 671 representations received to date from medical bodies and individual doctors are copies of a circular letter prepared by Roche Products Ltd. which raises the question of prior consultation.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consultations he had with the Royal College of General Practitioners before imposing the limited list of drugs available for prescription on the National Health Service.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe did not consult the Royal College of General Practitioners before reaching a decision, based on our detailed investigations of the experience of other countries, on the principle of the limited list. We have however invited the college to discuss with us the contents of the proposed list.
§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice he took (a) from within the United Kingdom, and (b) from outside the United Kingdom in formulating his proposals for a limited list of drugs.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 11 December at columns464–65.
§ Mr. Tim Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how he intends to prevent the saving of the order of £100 million which he expects to make as a result of his proposals to limit the range of drugs prescribable under the National Health Service being eroded by price increases elsewhere consistent with the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 4 December, at c.168. Any application for price increases will be looked at very critically.
§ Mr. Tim Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what criteria will determine whether or not a drug is included in the list of drugs it is proposed to leave prescribable under the National Health Service in each of the therapeutic groups affected by his announcement of 8 November.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe drugs to remain available on the National Health Service in the categories affected by our limited list proposals will not be finalised until full consultation has taken place. Our stated intention is to provide an adequate range of cheap and effective generic drugs in each of the categories covered.
§ Mr. Tim Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that his proposals to limit the range of drugs prescribable under the National Health Service comply with the recent ruling of the European Court of Justice on this matter.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe will ensure that the way our proposals are implemented accords with European Community legislation.
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§ Mr. Tim Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what evidence his Department gave to the Greenfield committee on limited drugs lists.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeA paper prepared by officials of our Department and put to the Greenfield committee in 1981 rejected the idea of a limited list of drugs across all therapeutic groups. It did not consider the present proposals which affect only the less essential therapeutic categories.