Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2014 to Question 214086, how many members of the expert group with responsibility for updating the UK guidelines for the Clinical Management of Drugs Misuse and Dependence have a financial interest in the prescribing of methadone.

The expert group updating the UK guidelines for the clinical management of drug misuse and dependence consists of a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including practising clinicians, pharmacists, service users, carers, psychologists, commissioners and academics. Each is required to complete a declaration of interests and keep this updated.

Public Health England, which provides the secretariat for the group, has reviewed these declarations and on the basis of the information provided believes that no expert group members have a financial interest in the prescribing of specific medicines for the treatment of dependence.

Clinicians’ declarations will be published alongside the updated clinical guidelines by early 2016.