Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of HMRC’s capacity to monitor the importation of goods from (a) countries and (b) territories subject to (i) arms embargoes, (ii) trade sanctions and (iii) other trade restrictions.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC operates a risk-based model for customs compliance which is designed to support the flow of compliant international trade, while maintaining effective controls to collect revenue, protect the UK economy and wider society from harm and uphold the UK’s reputation as a trusted trading partner.

Imported and exported goods must be declared to HMRC and are subject to risk-based controls and verification. There are additional controls and restrictions on goods imported from and exported to certain countries, including those subject to arms embargoes and sanctions.

The controls and verification are tailored to the underlying risks but may include physical examinations of goods at the time of import or export and/or documentary checks.

HMRC collects the UK’s international trade in goods data and publishes this as two accredited official statistics series on gov.uk.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered providing (a) funding and (b) other support to NHS Trusts to participate in early access programmes for (i) Givinostat for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and (ii) other medicines.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department understands the importance of rapid patient access to new medicines for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and has worked with NHS England to consider the issues raised by the givinostat early access programme. The first National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) committee meeting for givinostat took place on 10 July 2025, with a provisional date for a decision in September. If the manufacturer, Italfarmaco, can offer a cost-effective price to enable a positive NICE recommendation, NHS England is ready to work with the company to explore immediate funding options for the treatment.

Although medicines administered via company-sponsored early access programmes (EAPs) are licensed, EAPs do not share common clinical, data, or regulatory standards, meaning each one demands a new protocol to be devised and delivered by each participating trust, and that can create significant pressures on clinical and financial resources.

It would not be appropriate for the Government or NHS England to issue any form of national direction around the participation in these early access programmes as it would both pre-empt and undermine the role of NICE, whose very purpose is to advise the National Health Service on whether or not particular treatments should be made routinely available on the NHS.

The Government does, however, support patients getting early access to new, innovative medicines through established routes such as the Early Access to Medicines Scheme.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support structured partnerships between mainstream schools and specialist SEND education providers.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The government has committed to enhancing the capability of mainstream schools to better support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

We are encouraged by emerging examples of effective collaboration, where special schools are working in partnership with mainstream settings to share specialist expertise.

Through our Change Programme, we are currently piloting approaches whereby alternative provision settings provide outreach support to mainstream schools. The insights gained from these pilots will inform future policy development and help shape sustainable, effective partnerships between mainstream schools and specialist SEND providers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the review of the early access to medicines system will include Early Access Programmes of the type used for Givinostat; and what steps he is taking to (a) help tackle geographic variations in uptake and (b) improve equitable access to innovative treatments across the NHS.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs as a priority, and health equity as a cross-cutting theme. The Department understands the importance of rapid patient access to new medicines for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and has worked with NHS England to consider the issues raised by the Givinostat early access programme.

We are also working to review the effectiveness of access schemes for rare disease therapies. This will focus on the Early Access to Medicines Scheme, the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway, and the Innovative Medicines Fund, but will broadly consider access to rare disease therapies.

Jagtar Singh Johal (No. 2)

Government's role in Birmingham bin strikes

Proposal for a wealth tax

Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules

Animals

UK-based medical charities in Palestine

Mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting and action plans

Import of goods from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Government policy on the Hillsborough Law

Ayman Odeh

Equitable national prostate cancer screening

Anniversary of the July 2024 protests in Bangladesh

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Found: Mary Kelly Foy Zarah Sultana Bell Ribeiro-Addy Dr Simon Opher Ellie Chowns Ayoub Khan Iqbal Mohamed

Found: Blake Mary Kelly Foy Zarah Sultana Bell Ribeiro-Addy Dr Simon Opher Ellie Chowns Ayoub Khan Iqbal Mohamed

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