§ Sir Dudley Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress he is making to protect the interests of the patient and to ensure fairness of treatment to pharmaceutical manufacturers in the United Kingdom over parallel imports from the Continent.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe United Kingdom scheme for the licensing of parallel imported medicinal products was introduced on 16 May 1984. To date, approximately834W 1,350 applications for parallel import product licences have been received from 20 or more importers. These are receiving careful consideration and where necessary more detailed enquiries are being made of the EC country of import and of the applicant. Parallel import product licences are issued only when the interests of the patient have been safeguarded.