§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of parallel trading in the British pharmaceutical industry; and if he will make a statement. [77480]
§ Mr. LammyParallel imports are estimated to represent 15 per cent. overall of sales of medicines to the national health service, although the proportion of sales represented by parallel imports differs widely between different products. Conclusive information on the economic effect of this trade on the British pharmaceutical industry is not available, given the uncertainty surrounding such factors as the profits made on sales to the country which is the source of the imports and other discounts offered by manufacturers in the United Kingdom.