§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy on the use of patients in the United Kingdom for experimental test purposes for an American drug company provided that the company holds a valid clinical test certificate or clinical trial exemption certificate issued by the United Kingdom licensing authority; what arrangements there are for the patients to be informed that they are to be used for experimental test purposes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MellorWithin the National Health Service all research proposals on human subjects, including drug trials, should be approved by a local research ethics committee before they commence. The committee will want to look at all aspects of the research proposal, including any certificates issued by the United Kingdom Licensing Authority and what arrangements have been made for the information of patients involved, before giving or withholding their approval.
424Wcommittee whose chairman was not reappointed in March-April 1989, the name of the chairmen not reappointed, their length of service on that family practitioner committee, their status on that committee, namely, as a contractor or lay person, and the name of the person appointed in their place, together with a note of their length of service on that family practitioner committee and their status and, where no reappointment has yet occurred, the date on which he hopes to announce the name of the new chairman and the cause of the hiatus.
§ Mr. MellorThe information is contained in the table. We hope to announce names for the two remaining vacancies shortly.