HC Deb 08 February 1993 vol 218 c474W
Mr. Llwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women are currently prescribed oral contraceptives.

Mr. Sackville

The information is not held centrally.

Mrs. Fyfe

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much is the current cost of supplying oral contraceptives, and how much of a saving would accrue, if the categories listed in her press release of 12 November 1992 were removed.

Dr. Mawhinney

The net ingredient cost of supplying oral contraceptives dispensed by community pharmacists, dispensing doctors and prescribing doctors during 1991 was £37.65 million. Decisions on which individual products will no longer be available on national health service prescription will be made only on the recommendation of the advisory committee on NHS drugs and cannot be predicted in advance.