Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the supply of medicine to Scotland in the event that the UK leaves the EU without an agreement.

While the Government believes that leaving the EU with a deal is the best outcome, leaving without a deal remains the legal default at the end of the extension period on 31 October 2019. As a responsible Government, we have been preparing to minimise any disruption in the event of a no-deal scenario and are continuing with these preparations.

The supply of critical ‘category 1’ goods, including medicines and medical products, remains an essential element of the Government’s no-deal contingency planning. The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Devolved Administrations to support the continuity of medical supplies and medicines for the whole of the UK, and will continue to engage with devolved administration officials and Ministers to prepare for a potential ‘no-deal’ on 31 October. The Government has also set out in a Written Ministerial Statement an update on its preparations for a no-deal scenario on 26 June 2019 (HCWS1661).