HC Deb 22 February 1988 vol 128 c41W
Mr. Gale

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will give details of the drug recalls of European Economic Community-manufactured and non-European Economic Community-manufactured general drugs for the latest year for which figures are available;

(2) if he will give details of the drug recalls of European Economic Community-manufactured and non-European Economic Community-manufactured proprietary drugs for the latest year for which figures are available.

Mr. Newton

I regret information is not available in the form requested. Generally, pharmaceutical companies have their own arrangements for recalling batches of defective medicines which they identify. During 1987 they involved the Department in the recall of specific batches of nine generic and five proprietary products, all manufactured in the European Community. We are not aware of any recalls in 1987 involving non-EC manufactured products.