That this House believes people with cystic fibrosis should not have to pay prescription charges.

That this House believes people with cystic fibrosis should not have to pay prescription charges.

That this House notes the International Conference on Microbicides which took place in London in March; welcomes research and progress into this new tool for preventing the spread of HIV; further notes work by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine which shows that millions of lives could be saved worldwide by the introduction of a microbicide; is aware of the leading role played by our medical research institutions in developing a microbicide; urges pharmaceutical companies to more actively engage in this vital area; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to continue to commit sufficient public funds to ensure the timely development and distribution of an effective microbicide.

That this House notes the International Conference on Microbicides which took place in London in March; welcomes research and progress into this new tool for preventing the spread of HIV; further notes work by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine which shows that millions of lives could be...

That this House expresses its deep concern at continuing reports that millions of children throughout the world live under conditions which are described as the worst forms of child labour in International Labour Convention 182, as already ratified by Her Majesty's Government, including slavery or practices similar to slavery such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom, and forced or compulsory labour, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict, the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances, and the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs, and work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children; congratulates the organisers of the First Children's World Congress on Child Labour for bringing together children from across the globe to Florence in May in order to discuss solutions to these appalling abuses; encourages the British delegation under the auspices of Global March UK to promote the recommendations of the Congress; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to develop and implement its policy strategies to prohibit and eliminate all forms of child labour and child exploitation throughout the world through programmes which include poverty reduction and the provision of basic education for all by the internationally agreed target date of 2015.

That this House expresses its deep concern at continuing reports that millions of children throughout the world live under conditions which are described as the worst forms of child labour in International Labour Convention 182, as already ratified by Her Majesty's Government, including slavery or practices similar to slavery such...

That this House recognises the ten year anniversary commemoration of the genocide in Rwanda which began in April 1994; acknowledges the importance of such an anniversary for international relations; hopes that, following this human tragedy, the United Nations as well as all countries, regions and peoples throughout the world will learn from its terrible consequences and ensure that a similar tragedy never happens again; notes that the campaign by the Survivors' Fund to support women survivors of the genocide who have contracted HIV/AIDS as a result of a concerted campaign of rape and sexual violence in 1994 is valid and indeed crucial for helping the women to lead a normal life; further recognises that the lack of access to affordable antiretroviral drugs inhibits their ability to work and take care of Rwanda's children; therefore acknowledges that the legacy of the genocide is still very much a problem in today's Rwanda; and calls upon the Government to increase pressure on international pharmaceutical companies to reduce the cost of antiretroviral drugs for the developing world.

That this House recognises the ten year anniversary commemoration of the genocide in Rwanda which began in April 1994; acknowledges the importance of such an anniversary for international relations; hopes that, following this human tragedy, the United Nations as well as all countries, regions and peoples throughout the world will...

That this House urges the Government to introduce legislation to amend drug patent laws to enable companies to supply cheaper, generic-brand treatments to developing nations in the war against AIDS, following the unanimous WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and Public Health of August 2003, encouraging member countries to relax patent restrictions; recognises the need to make medical treatment available to the untold millions suffering from deadly infectious diseases, notably HIV/AIDS, in the least developed areas of the world and especially in the poorest countries of Africa; and acknowledges that greater steps can in fact be taken, as recent legislation proposed by the Canadian Government demonstrates, to advance these crucial health and development objectives while also respecting the intellectual property rights of the pharmaceutical industry.

That this House urges the Government to introduce legislation to amend drug patent laws to enable companies to supply cheaper, generic-brand treatments to developing nations in the war against AIDS, following the unanimous WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and Public Health of August 2003, encouraging member...

That this House believes people with cystic fibrosis should not have to pay prescription charges.

That this House believes people with cystic fibrosis should not have to pay prescription charges.

That this House congratulates the drinks group Diageo on their decision to provide its African workforce who are HIV positive and their dependants with access to free anti-retroviral drugs to help tackle the AIDS crisis in Africa; and urges other major companies to follow suit.

That this House congratulates the drinks group Diageo on their decision to provide its African workforce who are HIV positive and their dependants with access to free anti-retroviral drugs to help tackle the AIDS crisis in Africa; and urges other major companies to follow suit.

That this House welcomes the NICE guidance on Xeloda, an innovative treatment for colorectal and breast cancer, which for the first time gives cancer patients the choice of treatment at home or in hospital; notes that NICE states that all patients should be offered the choice to receive Xeloda following discussions with their clinician; further notes the significance of the guidance in reinforcing the importance of patients being involved in making decisions about their treatment; and urges the Government to make funding and resources available so that this treatment is equally available to all eligible patients in England and Wales.

That this House welcomes the NICE guidance on Xeloda, an innovative treatment for colorectal and breast cancer, which for the first time gives cancer patients the choice of treatment at home or in hospital; notes that NICE states that all patients should be offered the choice to receive Xeloda following...

That this House calls for the anti-depressant drug Seroxat to be withdrawn from use for new prescribing pending an urgent, fully independent review of its and other SSRI anti-depressants' safety, because of the extensive evidence of severe withdrawal reactions and an increased risk of suicide associated with it; and calls on the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulation Agency in conducting the review to include people with experience of using Seroxat and to make full use of the consumer-based evidence and research available, such as that conducted by Panorama and Mind.

That this House calls for the anti-depressant drug Seroxat to be withdrawn from use for new prescribing pending an urgent, fully independent review of its and other SSRI anti-depressants' safety, because of the extensive evidence of severe withdrawal reactions and an increased risk of suicide associated with it; and calls...

That this House welcomes the introduction, a year ago, of the National Health Service risk sharing scheme which provided for people with multiple sclerosis to receive treatment with beta interferons and glatiramer acetate while data on long-term effectiveness is gathered; shares the frustration of thousands of people with MS who could benefit from this treatment and who have not had access to these drugs a full year after the scheme was introduced; and believes that the Government should take steps to ensure all those meeting the criteria for treatment under guidelines set by the Association of British Neurologists are assessed and receiving treatment by the Department of Health's target date of November 2003.

That this House welcomes the introduction, a year ago, of the National Health Service risk sharing scheme which provided for people with multiple sclerosis to receive treatment with beta interferons and glatiramer acetate while data on long-term effectiveness is gathered; shares the frustration of thousands of people with MS who...

That this House is deeply concerned about the effects of the anti-depressant drug Seroxat; notes that the World Health Organisation puts the drug at the top of its league table of drugs that have difficulties of withdrawal and that over 1,000 Seroxat users in the United Kingdom are taking legal action against the manufacturer, Glaxo SmithKline, after funding that the drug can lead to dependency and result in severe withdrawal symptoms including muscle spasms, insomnia, anxiety and depression and, in some cases, aggression and violence; is further concerned that the labelling of the drug does not mention the difficulties of withdrawal and that such symptoms are often misdiagnosed by doctors as a relapse into depression; further notes that the manufacturer has already been forced to drop adverts for the drug in the United States of America after a court rules that they could be misleading; and calls upon the Department of Health to look into the labelling and availability of the drug.

That this House is deeply concerned about the effects of the anti-depressant drug Seroxat; notes that the World Health Organisation puts the drug at the top of its league table of drugs that have difficulties of withdrawal and that over 1,000 Seroxat users in the United Kingdom are taking legal...

That this House congratulates the 'Beat the Benzos' campaign in highlighting the over-prescription of tranquilliser drugs known as benzodiazepines, including Ativan, Temazepam and Valium; supports their objective in bringing about the full implementation of prescription guidelines by general practitioners; calls on the Government to provide greater support services for involuntary and voluntary addicts of these drugs to integrate anti-benzodiazepine measures in anti-drug policies and to review disability benefit guidelines to ensure recognition of benzodiazepine addiction; and notes with great interest the recent court victory by Mr Ray Nimmo in which he successfully won compenstion for the past over-prescription of Valium by his then general practitioner.

That this House congratulates the 'Beat the Benzos' campaign in highlighting the over-prescription of tranquilliser drugs known as benzodiazepines, including Ativan, Temazepam and Valium; supports their objective in bringing about the full implementation of prescription guidelines by general practitioners; calls on the Government to provide greater support services for involuntary...

That this House notes the exploitation by drug manufacturers of EU regulations concerning orphan drugs, drugs which are of benefit to fewer than five per 10,000 people; expresses concern at the enormous price increase of many cheap, commonly used life-saving chemicals as a result of drug manufacturers securing a licence and sole marketing rights to the compounds; further notes the supply monopoly many drug manufacturers now have on previously cheap raw chemicals required to treat people with rare biochemical disorders, and the major financial consequences this has on the NHS; and calls on the Government to amend the Licensing Act to prevent such exploitation.

That this House notes the exploitation by drug manufacturers of EU regulations concerning orphan drugs, drugs which are of benefit to fewer than five per 10,000 people; expresses concern at the enormous price increase of many cheap, commonly used life-saving chemicals as a result of drug manufacturers securing a licence...