Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access on patient access to new medicines; and if he will make a statement.

The 2019 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access set out a range of measures to support innovation and improve patient outcomes through greater access to the most transformative and cost-effective medicines. Every six months the Department, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, NHS England and NHS Improvement, and the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland meet to consider progress against the objectives of the scheme. Good progress is being made on the objectives of the scheme, and access to clinically and cost-effective new medicine continues to improve.