asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the extra cost of providing child-resistant containers for medicines; if he will increase the range of medicines for which child-resistant containers are compulsory; and if he will make a statement.
[pursuant to his reply, 1 April 1980]; At the time when the Medicines (Child Safety) regulations were under consideration, the organisations representing the industry were unable to estimate the extra cost of providing child-resistant containers, and it has not been possible, subsequently, for the Department to arrive at costs relating to industry generally or to the National Health Service.My right hon. Friend has no proposals, at present, for extending the range of medicines for which child-resistant containers are compulsory.