Dear Mr. Shepherd,

When one of the Ombudsman's investigation managers, Mr Colmans, wrote to you on 12 February about Mr Medawar's complaint against the Medicines Control Agency (MCA), he said that we had suspended our investigation to allow the MCA some time to review Mr Medawar's information requests and for them to consult colleagues about the outcome of that review.

I am writing first of all to apologise to you and Mr Medawar for the continuing delay. We understood that the review would take about a month and that the likely result was that it would lead to some tangible benefit in that it would facilitate the release of information sought by Mr Medawar.

Three months have passed and during that time Mr Medawar has been in touch with this office to find out why there is a continuing delay. I thought I should let you know that we have on several occasions reminded MCA of the importance of completing their review, and that I have now written to the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health to ask for his personal assurance that the matter will be brought to a swift conclusion. As matters stand, however, there is nothing more we can do until the MCA have released the results of their review.

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