§ John McDonnellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the deregulation of pharmacy contracts on smaller, non-supermarket pharmacies.[97399]
§ Mr. LammyWe are considering the report from the Director General of Fair Trading and its findings and recommendation carefully.
Community pharmacists have an important part to play in our plans to drive up the quality of national health service services overall and to make the best use of skills of everybody working in the NHS. We are therefore considering the implications the report has for patients, for the profession and for the NHS as a whole.
We have invited views on the report and are meeting key interests to hear their reactions, in order to help inform the Government response, which my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, is co-ordinating.