Mr. RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to receive the report from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence regarding the benefits to sufferers of multiple sclerosis of being prescribed Beta Interferon; and if he will make a statement. [95560]
§ Mr. DenhamWe consulted earlier in the summer on a proposal to refer beta interferon to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), for an authoritative appraisal of the available evidence, and an announcement will be made about the outcome of the consultation in the near future
It will be for NICE to determine its timetable for the appraisal of technologies once they are referred by the Government.