Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
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 safety of talc used in medical products.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the Government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe.
Additives in medicines, termed excipients, are required to comply with the standards laid down in pharmacopeial monographs and can only be included in medicinal products at levels that are considered to be safe.
The MHRA is aware of general concerns in relation to the presence of asbestos in talcum powder, however, pharmaceutical grade talc has strict controls on the presence of asbestos. The British Pharmacopeia monograph for Purified Talc states that “Talc derived from deposits that are known to contain associated asbestos is not suitable for pharmaceutical use”. Furthermore, testing is required to confirm the absence of asbestos.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
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 safety of talc in medicines.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the Government agency responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe.
Additives in medicines, termed excipients, are required to comply with the standards laid down in pharmacopeial monographs and can only be included in medicinal products at levels that are considered to be safe.
The MHRA is aware of general concerns in relation to the presence of asbestos in talcum powder, however, pharmaceutical grade talc has strict controls on the presence of asbestos. The British Pharmacopeia monograph for Purified Talc states that “Talc derived from deposits that are known to contain associated asbestos is not suitable for pharmaceutical use”. Furthermore, testing is required to confirm the absence of asbestos.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on enabling (a) hauliers and (b) coach operators in Wales to access the National Wealth Fund for investment in zero-emission vehicles and refuelling infrastructure.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The National Wealth Fund is committed to ensuring the benefits of its investments are felt in all four nations of the UK. It is actively engaging with stakeholders in Wales, including with the Welsh Government and Wales Office, to identify opportunities for investment.
As set out in the Chancellor’s Statement of Strategic Priorities to the National Wealth Fund in March 2025, clean energy and transport are priority sectors, this includes supporting the transition to zero-emission vehicles and associated refuelling infrastructure.
The National Wealth Fund will continue to explore investible propositions that satisfy its investment principles.