Pharmacy All-Party Parliamentary Group

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The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy aims to 'raise awareness of the profession of pharmacy and to promote pharmacists’ current and potential contribution to the health of the nation.'[1]

In 2006 it was criticised by the Times for not adequately disclosing support from lobbying or PR firms, which 'list only the name of a lobbyist or public affairs consultant, and do not specify an ultimate client. This would appear to be a clear breach of parliamentary 1985 rules that state: “Where a public relations agency provides the assistance, the ultimate client should be named”.[2]

The September 2010 UK House of Commons register of All-Party Groups discloses that Luther Pendragon act as the group’s secretariat on behalf of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, the National Pharmacy Association, the Company Chemists’ Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. [3]

As of July 2015 Luther Pendragon was still named as the group's secretariat.

Work and activities

The group looks at issues of current interest and significance for pharmacy, patients and the NHS. It holds meetings and investigations and invites expert speakers to explain their views and help shape the debate.

APPG progress in pharmacy inquiry

The group says it is currently undertaking an inquiry into where further progress may be made in the field of pharmacy. 'The hope is to help pharmacy realise its full potential in the provision of patient care and NHS services in an evolved healthcare landscape'.

The inquiry, as decided by chairman Sir Kevin Barron MP, will be based on roundtable discussions, and is strictly non-adversarial.

It wil look into issues concerning the new commissioning environment, contractual and funding arrangements, education, skills and training on top of patient and public awareness. [4]

People

Officers, September 2015-February 2016

Officers as at March 2015

Vice-chairs:

Treasurer: Margot James - Conservative Party Secretary: Stephen Lloyd - Liberal Democrats[7]

Members as at March 2015

Rebecca Harris - Conservative Party | Penny Mordaunt - Conservative Party | Marcus Jones - Conservative Party | Sir David Amess - Conservative Party | David Tredinnick | Conservative Party | Lord Norman Fowler - Conservative Party | Adrian Sanders - Liberal Democrats | Stephen Lloyd - Liberal Democrats | Lord Timothy Clement-Jones - Liberal Democrats | Annette Brooke - Liberal Democrats | Gisela Stuart - Labour | Fiona Mactaggart - Labour | Frank Dobson - Labour | Grahame Morris - Labour | Lindsa Roy - Labour | Russell Brown - Labour | Mary Glindon - Labour | Ian Austin - Labour | Jim Dowd - Labour | Ian Lucas - Labour [8]

2008

The chair for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy is Howard Stoate.[10] He was a speaker (in his role with the APPG on Pharmacy) at UniChem's annual Conference in Brazil, with transport and accomodation provided by UniChem.[11]

Secretariat and benefits

Registered in July 2015 (in bands of £1,500) Luther Pendragon received £25,501-27,000 in benefits to acts as the group's secretariat.

Luther Pendragon is funded by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, the Company Chemists Association, the National Pharmacy Association and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee to provide secretariat services and website management to the PAPPG. [5][6]

Notes

  1. House of Commons, Register of All-Party Groups, 30 September 2010.
  2. House of Commons Committee on Standards and Privileges, Written evidence received by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards 1. Letter to the Commissioner from Mr Robert Thomson, 20 January 2006 Lobbying and All Party Groups Ninth Report of Session 2005–06
  3. House of Commons, Register of All-Party Groups, 30 September 2010.
  4. Pharmacy APPG InquiriesAPPG website, accessed 7 October 2015
  5. 5.0 5.1 Register as of 29 September 2015, www.parliament.uk, accessed 7 October 2015
  6. 6.0 6.1 Pharmacy APPG Register Feb 16, www.parliament.uk, accessed 18 February 2016
  7. Register as at 30 March 2015Parliament Website, accessed 7 October 2015
  8. Register as at 30 March 2015Parliament Website, accessed 7 October 2015
  9. All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy Officers, Accessed November 25 2008
  10. UK Parliament Accessed 30 November 2007
  11. House of Commons Register of Interests Accessed 30th November 2007