Oral Answers to Questions — Public Health – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 19 Mehefin 1947.
Lieut-Commander Joseph Braithwaite
, Holderness
12:00,
19 Mehefin 1947
asked the Minister of Health whether he is satisfied that adequate supplies of streptomycin are reaching this country for the use of hospitals and general practitioners.
Mr Aneurin Bevan
, Ebbw Vale
The merits of this drug have not yet been established and it is still under clinical trial by the Medical Research Council. The only supplies which have been obtained by the Government are for the purpose of these trials.
Lieut-Commander Joseph Braithwaite
, Holderness
May I ask the right hon. Gentleman, in view of the increasing number of S.O.S. broadcast appeals for streptomycin, and in view of the fact that it is apparently readily obtainable from drug stores in the United States, is the shortage of supply here in any way due to our dollar difficulties, or is it through Opposition in high medical quarters?
Mr Aneurin Bevan
, Ebbw Vale
The answer to the last part of the supplementary question is that there is no restriction on the dollar side to the purchase of whatever amount of streptomycin is necessary for the tests, but in view of the fact that this drug has not yet been proved, I am very glad to know that it cannot be obtained in drug stores in this country.
Mr William Shepherd
, Bucklow
As these appeals cause a great deal of alarm, cannot the Minister do something to stop them taking place?
Mr Aneurin Bevan
, Ebbw Vale
I have made an announcement in this House deploring these appeals and deploring all appeals for drugs which are not properly tested beforehand. I regret very much that the B.B.C. is giving facilities for these appeals.
Dr. Taylor:
Is the Minister aware that in the United States the sale of streptomycin is not through drug stores and that it is controlled by the National Control Council there as it is here?
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
The Opposition are the political parties in the House of Commons other than the largest or Government party. They are called the Opposition because they sit on the benches opposite the Government in the House of Commons Chamber. The largest of the Opposition parties is known as Her Majesty's Opposition. The role of the Official Opposition is to question and scrutinise the work of Government. The Opposition often votes against the Government. In a sense the Official Opposition is the "Government in waiting".
