Mr. Speaker, first let me help the hon. member with some of his statistics because I think he would want to get them right.
First, 15.1 per cent of national health expenditures in the last year for which we have full statistics were for pharmaceuticals. Patented drugs only account for 40 per cent of the pharmaceuticals purchased in those expenditures. In addition, with respect to patented medicines, and this is determined by an independent board, the price increase from 1987 to 1994 was 2.1 per cent per year.
If the hon. member begins to take those statistics into account he might phrase his question a little differently. As he knows, and I have assured the House several times, we are reviewing Canada's drug patent policy. In addition, under Bill C-91 there is a parliamentary review process that will be invoked in 1997.