Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions she has had with her Indian counterpart on securing the continued supply of paracetamol to the UK.

My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade has held a number of discussions with her Indian counterpart, Minister Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, including at the recent Extraordinary G20 Trade Ministerial meetings.

In these discussions, the Secretary of State has stressed the importance of making sure supply chains remain open and that any trade barriers introduced in response to Covid-19 are proportionate, transparent and time limited. The significance of export approval for essential shipments of medical supplies and medicines bound for the United Kingdom from India was also raised.

I am pleased to say that the Government of India has now removed export restrictions on paracetamol to the United Kingdom.