§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to amend section 118 of the Medicines Act 1968 to permit wider disclosure of data submitted by pharmaceutical companies to the licensing authority. [4923]
§ Mr. MilburnWe have no current plans to amend section 118 of the Medicines Act. However, in the light of the forthcoming White Paper on Freedom of Information, we will consider what further steps are necessary to maximise public access to information about their medicines whilst safeguarding genuine commercial confidentiality.