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Business of the House

If the hon. Gentleman will forgive me, I do not intend to be drawn into the circumstances of that particular patient—obviously we are all concerned about his position—nor indeed of the particular drug. I accept that consistency across the country is necessary, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has had regard to that in relation to a number of high-profile cases. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will accept that that consistency must be determined by national standards, not least in relation to new drugs, as it is important for those who are likely to use them that the drugs are tested and satisfy stringent standards before being employed. I assure him that the Government are working hard to eliminate the type of discrepancy that he appears to be describing.