§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements exist to enable manufacturers to make representations against unfavourable recommendations of the advisory committee on National Health Service drugs and the advisory committee on borderline substances.
§ Mr. NewtonFrom today the committees will advise manufacturers in writing of proposed unfavourable recommendations they intend to make to Health Ministers. Manufacturers will be given 30 days from the date of the letter of the committee concerned (or longer at the discretion of the committee) in which to make writ ten representations against the proposed recommendations. Requests for an oral hearing will be granted by the committees if they consider that a case is of such a nature that their advice cannot properly be formulated without one. Manufacturers will have the right to be represented at any oral hearings that may be arranged. The Committees will take full account of any representations received in formulating their recommendations to Ministers.