asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps his Department is taking to limit the self-service sale of analgesics to the public; and if he will make a statement.

As I indicated in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, Central (Mr. McNamara) on 24th February—[Vol. 926, c. 652–3.]—it is not proposed to ban the retail sale of analgesics by self-service methods when Part III of the Medicines Act is brought into operation. Limitations on the sale of analgesics to the public will, however, include the necessity of selling them in child-resistant containers and restricting them to 25 tablets per container.