HC Deb 24 July 1984 vol 64 c601W
Mr. Gareth Wardell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report, for the period between 1970 and the most recent available date, those drugs which have been withdrawn from the market by the manufacturers because of unexpected side effects in human use, or had their product licences rescinded.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

This information is not available. Companies do not have to inform us of their reasons for cancelling or not renewing licences. The great majority of withdrawals are for commercial reasons, for example, when sales of a product cease to justify continued marketing. We have no ready means of identifying those products withdrawn because of concern about side effects.