HC Deb 25 April 1996 vol 276 cc282-3W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Committee on Safety of Medicines had considered the safety of oral contraceptives containing desogestrel or gestodene at its meetings subsequent to 13 October 1995. [26603]

Mr. Malone

Yes, important safety issues are kept under regular review by the committee.

Mr. Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whose staff drafted the letter of 18 October 1995 relating to oral contraceptives containing desogestrel or gestodene. [26600]

Mr. Malone

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 25 March, column428.

Mr. Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 2 April,Official Report, column 184, if the hon. Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Sackville) consulted him before authorising the letter of 18 October 1995. [26604]

Mr. Malone

Disclosure of information such as that requested would be in breach of the long-established convention, observed by successive Governments, protecting the confidentiality of the internal decision-making process.

Mr. Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 2 April,Official Report column 184, on what date the hon. Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Sackville) authorised the issuing of the letter of 18 October 1995 relating to desogestrel and gestodene. [26605]

Mr. Malone

On 16 October 1995.

Mr. Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 2 April,Official Report, column 185, what external legal advice was sought prior to the referral to the Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products on 11 October 1995. [26608]

Mr. Malone

No external legal advice was sought prior to the United Kingdom's request of 11 October 1995 for this issue to be discussed at the Committee of Proprietary Medicinal Products meeting of 17 to 18 October 1995.

Mr. Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if a referral of matters relating to combined oral contraceptives containing desopestrel or gestodene was made to the Law Officers in terms of paragraphs 22(i) or 22(ii)(c) of "Questions of Procedure for Ministers" of May 1992, prior to the issuing of the letter of 18 October 1995. [26607]

Mr. Malone

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 2 April, column185.