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Department of Health

: My hon. Friend paints a very black picture indeed of the pharmaceutical industry. I cannot deny that the industry has had some failures, but would he admit that, overall, its benefits far outweigh its deficiencies? Would he admit that the large mental institutions have been emptied by the introduction of modern drugs for the treatment of mental illness? Would he admit that the treatment of cardiovascular disease has been revolutionised by the introduction of beta blockers? Would he admit that the treatment of ulcers has been revolutionised—indeed, no ulcer patient goes into hospital anymore—by the discovery by Smith Kline and French at Welwyn Garden City of H2 inhibitors, of which cimetidine was the first? Would he admit that the pharmaceutical industry does far more good than harm of the kind that he is highlighting?