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Written Question
NHS: Drugs
Thursday 3rd November 2022

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many medicine by presentations included within the Voluntary Patient Access Scheme have had NHS List Price increase approved by their Department since 1 January 2020; and what was the average percentage increase for any such increases.

Answered by Will Quince

Between 1 January 2020 and 14 October 2022, members of the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access have received approval for an increase to the National Health Service list price for 35 medicines, for 120 presentations. The majority of price increases have been concentrated in specific market segments particularly impacted by global cost increases in the active pharmaceutical ingredient.

Price increase requests are assessed in line with Scheme’s rules, which ensure companies cannot make excess profits by setting a return on sales target of 6% for standard price increase requests.


Written Question
NHS: Drugs
Tuesday 1st November 2022

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason her Department included branded (a) generic and (b) biosimilar medicines that delivered savings to the NHS within the current voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access scheme.

Answered by Will Quince

Medicines which are required to be prescribed by brand name, including some branded generics and biosimilars, are not interchangeable. Therefore, competitive forces will not act in the same way as for generic medicines and price regulation is justified. The inclusion of these medicines in the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access was agreed with industry in 2019.


Written Question
NHS: Drugs
Tuesday 1st November 2022

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans her Department has to carry out an impact assessment on the effect of an increased voluntary scheme for branded medicine rate to a projected 23.7 per cent in 2023 upon the supply of medicines to the NHS.

Answered by Will Quince

The Department has no plans to carry out an impact assessment on the 2023 payment percentage. The Department’s standard practice is to set the payment percentage based on measured sales. The payment percentage projected for 2023 is in line with Department projections shared with industry when the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access (VPAS) was agreed.

We have seen no evidence that increased VPAS payments have or will impact on the supply of medicines to the National Health Service. Where payment rates may put pressure on the profitability of individual products, there are provisions in the scheme for companies to apply for a price increase.


Written Question
NHS: Drugs
Tuesday 25th October 2022

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make it her policy to publish data comparing the voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access repayments against leading European countries with similar access or rebate schemes in each year since 2015.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

We have no plans to do so.

Prices paid for medicines internationally are generally confidential. It is therefore not possible to make an accurate comparison of the net price of medicines between the UK and other countries, with or without rebate rates.


Written Question
NHS: Drugs
Tuesday 25th October 2022

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make a comparative estimate of the annual savings that (a) unbranded generic, (b) branded generic and (c) biosimilar medicines have contributed to the NHS drug bill compared to branded prices had those medicines not been available for each year since 2012 for which data is available.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

The current Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access expenditure forecast assumes that average spend at patent expiry will decrease by 70% for a non-biologic medicine or 45% for a biologic medicine. The Secretary of State has also commissioned further policy advice on this matter. These assumptions will be reviewed ahead of the negotiation of a new Scheme.


Written Question
Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access
Tuesday 25th October 2022

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of an exemption from payments for new active substances from that scheme.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

The Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access includes a 36 month exemption from payments for drugs containing a new active substance, starting once the marketing authorisation has been granted. Treatment of new active substances under a future voluntary scheme is subject to negotiation.


Written Question
Hospices: Apprentices
Wednesday 23rd February 2022

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the extent of apprenticeship opportunities in the hospice sector.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We are increasing funding for apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by 2024/25. This will support apprenticeships in non-levy employers, such as hospices, where the Government will continue to pay 95% of training costs.

Since 1 April 2021, all non-levy paying employers, including hospices, arranging new apprenticeships must do so through the apprenticeship service. This provides more control over apprenticeship choices and the ability to reserve funds before choosing the appropriate apprenticeship provider. All small and medium-sized enterprises, such as hospices, have been able to reserve funding for up to 10 new apprenticeships in 2021/22.


Written Question
Hospices: Apprentices
Wednesday 23rd February 2022

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) is planning to take to encourage hospices to access Apprenticeship Levy funding.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We are increasing funding for apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by 2024/25. This will support apprenticeships in non-levy employers, such as hospices, where the Government will continue to pay 95% of training costs.

Since 1 April 2021, all non-levy paying employers, including hospices, arranging new apprenticeships must do so through the apprenticeship service. This provides more control over apprenticeship choices and the ability to reserve funds before choosing the appropriate apprenticeship provider. All small and medium-sized enterprises, such as hospices, have been able to reserve funding for up to 10 new apprenticeships in 2021/22.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Israel
Monday 31st January 2022

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers have had with their Israeli counterparts on tackling covid-19.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

We have had no recent discussions.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Disease Control
Wednesday 5th January 2022

Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on tackling the omicron variant of covid-19.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

There have been no recent discussions on Omicron between the Health Secretary Sajid Javid and the Israeli Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz.