Health Bill [HL]

My Lords, I had not anticipated playing a part in the debate on either of these amendments, but about 25 years ago, as a Minister in the then DHSS, I played a part in the move towards generic substitution. I have a positive view about the ambitions of both amendments, but there was one problem that struck me in the comments of both noble Lords. A difficulty might arise when you have to deal with a drug which is under patent; it will be extremely expensive in its early days. When the patents run out—I do not remember exactly how long, but three or four years after the time—the labelling to indicate the cost will be markedly different between the drugs that are under patent and those that are not. That could be quite misleading to all concerned, although I entirely take the point made by both the noble Lord, Lord Palmer, and the noble Lord, Lord Campbell-Savours, about the need to ensure we are talking about the sort of things that patients who use the drugs, whether they be under patent or generic, understand.