asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is satisfied that the amount of penicillin supplied from official sources to the British zone of Germany, namely, 95 mega-units a month, enough for 50 or 60 cases only, is sufficient for all needs apart from the treatment of venereal disease; and how many applications for supplies of this drug have been received by the Public Health branch of the Control Commission from the German Public Health Advisory Committee which have not been acceded to.

No applications for penicillin have been made to the British Authorities by the German Public Health Advisory Committee for some months past. I am advised that supplies made available by the relief societies alone have been sufficient to meet recent demands. If is likely, however, that the widening experience now being acquired by German doctors in the application of the drug will lead to a demand for larger quantities and it is planned to increase substantially the present monthly official allocation for non-V.D. cases.

Will my hon. Friend make it clear to the German doctors that more penicillin is available if it is required?

We are taking steps to encourage German doctors in the use of this drug and to obtain knowledge of its proper use. As I stated, we anticipate that we will be able to meet any commitments likely to be made.

Is there no way of getting some of these detailed matters settled by the German people for themselves, or have we to intervene in all cases of house accommodation, the issue of penicillin in the treatment of venereal disease and so on? Is there no way of getting the Germans to manage their own lives a little?

Yes, Sir. The fact is that, as I said in reply to this Question, we supply penicillin on demand to German doctors. At the moment we have to subsidise imports and we have to keep control of them.