§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the hospitals which took part or are taking part in trials of the drug DNase; on whose behalf these412W trials were conducted; when the results of the trial will be published; and if she will be issuing guidance to health boards on the use of the drug if the trials are successful.
§ Mr. SackvilleMedicinal products for use in clinical trials are regulated under the Medicines Act 1968 and subsidiary legislation. The Medicines Control Agency acting on behalf of the licensing authority keeps confidential records of all applications to conduct clinical trials. Information from these records cannot be disclosed in accordance with section 118 of the Medicines Act. The question of guidance to health boards is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. In England, it is for a local district health authority to decide priorities in the light of competing demands on finite resources. The Department of Health encourages the national health service to study the results of research into drugs.