Axe still hangs over local pharmacies

3.4.03

Davey presents Kingston's pharmacy petitions to DTI and ramps up Commons campaign.

The campaign against damaging plans for local pharmacies took a new turn this week, as local Liberal Democrat MP Edward Davey presented local people's petitions against the proposals to the Department of Trade and Industry alongside many parliamentary colleagues.

Despite signals from Ministers that the Government might not adopt controversial recommendations from the Office of Fair Trading to deregulate community pharmacies; Edward Davey remains concerned that the Government has refused to make its final decision clear till the summer. So he has vowed to keep the pressure up "with our local petitions and questions in Parliament".

Indeed, in a special Question time in Westminster Hall on special issues affecting older people, Edward Davey MP told Ministers of the importance of community pharmacies for pensioners in Kingston and Surbiton. Edward Davey MP urged the Health Minster to reject the OFT's proposals to deregulate community pharmacies. Edward Davey MP commented:

"Until Ministers remove this threat, the axe will hang over our local pharmacists and their many local customers. It's time Ministers made a decision and backed community healthcare over big supermarkets."