From: “FOICOMMONS” <FOICOMMONS@parliament.uk>
To: <barry.benzocampaign@talktalk.net>
Sent: Monday, August 23, 2010 3:03 PM
Subject: FOI Response F10-437

Dear Mr Haslam

Thank you for your e-mail requesting “minutes of the closed sessions of The
Health Select Committee Inquiry into The Influence of The Pharmaceutical
Industry 2004/5.Including discussions of the request by Phil Woolas MP for
the HSC to subpoena documentation from John Wyeth and Roche Products.

While notes are held, discussions which take place in formal private
meetings of select committees are exempted from the requirement for
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act and your request for this
information is refused under the exemption set out in s.34(1) of the Freedom
of Information Act. This exemption is required to avoid an infringement of
the privileges of the House of Commons, which include the rights of
committee established under standing orders to determine whether, how and
when to publish records of meetings held in private. Under section 2 of the
Act, this is an absolute exemption and no public interest test applies.

I can tell you, however, that the Committee did ask for papers from Wyeth,
amongst other companies, in the course of its inquiry. It agreed to do this
at its meeting on 8 December 2004. The extract from the Minutes of
Proceedings reads:

        Ordered, That the Committee do send for papers from the following
pharmaceutical companies in connection with its inquiry into The Influence
of the Pharmaceutical Industry: AstraZenaca, Eli Lilly and Company  Limited,
GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer Limited and Wyeth.-(The Chairman.)

The Committee asked Professor Gerard Hastings and colleagues at the
University of Stirling to analyse the documents provided and produce a
report. This report was published as part of the evidence for the inquiry
(volume II of the Committee’s report, evidence pages 498 to 506). The
various pharmaceutical companies were asked to comment on Professor
Hastings’ report and their responses were also published (volume II,
evidence pages 507 to 516). Copies of the University of Stirling report and
the companies’ responses are enclosed with this letter.

I hope that this information is helpful.

You may, if dissatisfied with the treatment of your request, ask the House
of Commons to conduct an internal review of this decision. Requests for
internal review should be addressed to: Freedom of Information Officer,
Department of Resources, House of Commons London SW1 OAA or
foicommons@parliament.uk . Please ensure that you specify the nature of your
complaint and any arguments or points that you wish to make.

If you remain dissatisfied, you may appeal to the Information Commissioner
at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely

Bob Castle
Head of Information Rights and Information Security
House of Commons

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