§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that the British pharmaceutical industry remains competitive with foreign rivals.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe British pharmaceutical industry is outstandingly competitive; it directly employs about 80,000 people in the United Kingdom and had a positive balance of trade of about £1.5 billion in 1993. This results from a wide range of factors. So far as my responsibilities are concerned, we have negotiated a new pharmaceutical price regulation scheme for a period of five years from October 1993. This provides continued stability to the pharmaceutical industry in the United Kingdom, recognises research and development through the prices paid by the national health service for its medicines and encourages the efficient and competitive development and supply of medicines to pharmaceutical markets in this and other countries.