§ Mrs. CaltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what stocks of antibiotics have been made available for the treatment of infected populations in the event of a biological attack. [99352]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Department has stockpiled enough oral antibiotics to treat various bacterial infections including anthrax, plague and tularaemia. This stockpile exists in addition to national health service stocks in hospitals and pharmacies.
A proportion of the stock is packed into "pods", to allow rapid distribution in an emergency. These pods are held at secure sites across the country to allow rapid delivery to any location within the country.