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 (a) Vertex and (b) NHS England on access to Orkambi on the NHS.

It is the responsibility of NHS England, not the Government, to work together with Vertex to secure the best outcome for patients and a price for Orkambi that is fair and responsible.

I and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Lord O’Shaughnessy) wrote to Vertex in April, urging it to commit to pricing that is responsible and proportionate. I also re-iterated this message in the adjournment debate on 17 July, Official Report, columns 383-4.