Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to encourage Hormone Replacement Therapy implant manufacturers to apply for UK licenses.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Department have kept ministers informed of the ongoing issues in the manufacturing of unlicenced products used as medicines for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) implants.

Regular discussions with the importer of the unlicenced medicines have been held, and the Medicines Supply team in the Department are actively looking at both licenced and other sources, to ensure an ongoing supply of appropriate products.

The MHRA welcomes these applications and has processes in place to review applications for HRT implants, as soon as they are received.