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Business of the House

May I ask the Leader of the House for an urgent statement on the differing availability of life-saving anti-cancer drugs in different parts of the country? My constituent, Mr. Brian Jago, is dying of cancer. His consultants say that Velcade, a new drug, could save his life and that probably nothing else could. If he lived in Cardiff or Edinburgh, we believe that the word of the consultants would be enough for him to be prescribed the drug. As he lives near Southampton, a district prescribing committee’s permission is required, and that has not been given. May we have a statement about whose word should run in these matters—that of a prescribing committee, or that of the consultants concerned with the welfare of the patients?