Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that regulatory approval is granted to safe, cultivated meat production in the UK.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Cultivated meat is considered a novel food and is therefore subject to an approval process. When a food business submits a novel food application, it will be assessed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), with Food Standards Scotland (FSS). If the FSA, FSS and Ministers are satisfied the food is safe and appropriate for the market in Great Britain, the food will be approved. At this stage, the FSA and FSS have not received any applications for cultured meat products.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to increase radiotherapy cancer treatment capacity and access to technology under the 10-Year Cancer Plan.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Officials are currently analysing the responses received in the call for evidence to develop the 10 Year Cancer Plan. The Plan will address cancer treatments, including radiotherapy.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the percentage of immunocompromised people receiving antiviral treatments for covid-19 within five days of first symptoms.
Answered by Maggie Throup
In England, 95% of eligible non-hospitalised patients who received an antiviral treatment were treated within five days from the start of COVID-19 symptoms. One such treatment, remdesivir, can be provided within seven days of symptom onset.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of immunocompromised patients who have received antiviral treatment in response to covid-19 and have subsequently (a) been hospitalised and (b) died with covid-19.
Answered by Maggie Throup
This information is not held centrally in the format requested.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 28 March 2022 to Question 141960, when he expects patients in the UK to have access to Evusheld as a preventative treatment for covid-19.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The UK Health Security Agency has yet to complete testing on Evusheld’s efficacy against the Omicron variant. The timing of these results is dependent on the testing assays being completed successfully, which will inform any decisions on potential deployment.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 28 April 2022 to Question 141960, what progress has been made on assessing Evusheld for treating immunocompromised patients.
Answered by Maggie Throup
The UK Health Security Agency has yet to complete testing on Evusheld’s efficacy against the Omicron variant. The timing of these results is dependent on the testing assays being completed successfully, which will inform any decisions on potential deployment.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has assessed the number of immunocompromised patients who have received antiviral treatment in response to covid-19 and who have subsequently (a) been hospitalised and (b) died as a result of covid-19.
Answered by Maggie Throup
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of immunocompromised individuals who have (a) been hospitalised and (b) died as a result of covid-19 since the MHRA authorised Evusheld for use in the UK.
Answered by Maggie Throup
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2022 to Question 141960 on Evusheld, when patients in the UK will have access to Evusheld as a preventative treatment for covid-19.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Any public announcement on the procurement of therapeutics would be made after an agreement is reached with companies, as this information is commercially sensitive. The Department continues to examine the potential introduction of prophylaxis, which includes deployment and administration processes. Any such therapeutic treatment must provide evidence that it is clinically cost-effective, does not contribute to the generation of new variants and demonstrate sufficient efficacy against Omicron and new variants.
The Therapeutics Clinical Review Panel is providing advice on the most appropriate patient cohorts for new COVID-19 therapeutics, including preventive treatments such as Evusheld. Final clinical policies and eligibility would be determined by the National Health Service and the devolved administrations.
Asked by: Henry Smith (Conservative - Crawley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2022 to Question 141960 on Evusheld, what progress has been made on the assessment of Evusheld for treating immunocompromised patients.
Answered by Maggie Throup
Any public announcement on the procurement of therapeutics would be made after an agreement is reached with companies, as this information is commercially sensitive. The Department continues to examine the potential introduction of prophylaxis, which includes deployment and administration processes. Any such therapeutic treatment must provide evidence that it is clinically cost-effective, does not contribute to the generation of new variants and demonstrate sufficient efficacy against Omicron and new variants.
The Therapeutics Clinical Review Panel is providing advice on the most appropriate patient cohorts for new COVID-19 therapeutics, including preventive treatments such as Evusheld. Final clinical policies and eligibility would be determined by the National Health Service and the devolved administrations.