---

Department of Health

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. We support many of the recommendations outlined in the report, which seem to be sensible proposals to redress the balance between maintaining a successful pharmaceutical industry that continues to develop life-changing and potentially world-changing drugs, and maintaining and representing the best interests of the patient and the NHS. Regulation will help to ensure a more equitable balance. I am concerned however, that the Government have not even recognised adequately that that imbalance exists. They also seem to display a similar attitude to other, greater potential threats to public health and the available, appropriate and effective medication to deal with them. Let us hope that today’s debate will help the Government to take the first steps towards recognising those problems and addressing them, so that the public can be confident that their health will remain at the heart of the issue of when and why they are prescribed drugs.