Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to ensure that the treatment of NHS patients with rheumatoid arthritis is not interrupted in the event that the UK does not agree a withdrawal deal with the EU before March 2019.

We understand that disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and other biological treatments including Etanercept is vitally important to many people in this country. Our contingency plans include sensible mitigations for medicines that come to the United Kingdom from or via the European Union, such as precautionary stockpiling by suppliers, to ensure that the supply of essential medicines to patients is not disrupted.