Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he has considered the potential merits of establishing a database of licensed weight loss injection providers that is easily accessible to the public.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

All GLP-1 medicines, which are licensed injections for weight loss, are prescription only medicines, which means they can only be prescribed by a healthcare professional.

GLP-1 medicines can be purchased privately. A consultation with a healthcare professional must happen before the prescription can be issued, so that the prescriber can carry out proper checks and make sure the patient is aware of the benefits and risks of taking the medicine.

GLP-1 medicines should not be bought from unregulated sellers such as beauty salons or via social media, or from anywhere without a prior consultation with a healthcare professional.

To guarantee receipt of a genuine GLP-1 medicine, it must be acquired from a legitimate pharmacy, including those trading online, with a prescription issued by a healthcare professional.

Patients can check if the pharmacy, online or otherwise, is legitimate. For pharmacies based in Great Britain, patients can check on the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) website whether it is properly registered, which is available at the following link:

https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/registers

For pharmacies based in Northern Ireland, patients can refer to the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) website, which is available at the following link:

https://registers.psni.org.uk/

For further information about use of online pharmacies, patients can also refer to the GPhC’s guide on how to keep safe when getting medicines or treatment online, which is available at the following link:

https://assets.pharmacyregulation.org/files/2024-11/how-to-keep-safe-when-getting-medicines-or-treatment-online.pdf

The GPhC and the PSNI could also be contacted for more information on their actions on helping patients to obtain these medicines safely.

Patients can also visit the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) #FakeMeds website for tools and resources to help purchase medicines or medical devices safely online, with further information available at the following link:

https://fakemeds.campaign.gov.uk/

To promote safe access to GLP-1 medicines and increase public awareness of these resources, the MHRA has published guidance for the public highlighting important information such as how to obtain them safely and key risks to be aware of. Further information on the MHRA’s guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know#summary-what-do-those-taking-or-planning-to-take-these-medicines-need-to-remember

Patients can also check the credentials of the healthcare professional prescribing the medicine via the relevant United Kingdom professional regulator, such as the:

- General Medical Council for doctors;

- the Nursing and Midwifery Council for nurse independent prescribers;

- the GPhC for pharmacists in Great Britain;

- the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland; and

- the respective regulatory bodies for other non-medical prescribers.

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 potential merits of providing details to the public on how to report suspected unlicenced vendors providing weight loss injections.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), acting on behalf of my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is responsible for the regulation of medicines intended for human use in the United Kingdom. This includes applying the legal controls on the retail sale, supply, and advertising of medicines, which are set out in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.

Sourcing weight loss medicines from unregulated suppliers significantly increases the risk of receiving a product which is either falsified or not authorised for human use. Products purchased in this way will not meet the MHRA’s strict standards for quality, safety, and efficacy and can therefore pose significant risks.

Protecting the public from the dangers of falsified and unregulated medicines is one of the MHRA’s highest priorities.

Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, the MHRA and its partners seized approximately 17 million doses of illegally traded medicines with a street value of more than £37 million. The MHRA is constantly working to develop new and innovative ways to combat the trade in illegal medicines. These measures include:

- introduction of the Yellow Card scheme, which enables healthcare professionals and patients to report suspected fake medicines and adverse drug reactions, with referrals being assessed and acted upon as appropriate. Further information is available at the following link:
https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/;

- implementation of a web-based reporting scheme allowing users to report suspicious online sellers to the MHRA;

- rollout of an online service which will allow users to check if a website has been deemed ‘Not Recommended’ by the MHRA;

- publication of a #Fakemeds campaign which explains how to access medicines through safe and legitimate online sources, with further information available at the following link:
https://fakemeds.campaign.gov.uk/; and

- public guidance on how to safely access and use GLP-1 medications, available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know/glp-1-medicines-for-weight-loss-and-diabetes-what-you-need-to-know.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of supporting the call for the renewal of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara mandate.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has consistently voted for UN Security Council Resolutions that renew the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, including the latest Resolution adopted by the UN Security Council on 30 October 2025.

Found: Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws Afzal Khan Lord Murray of Blidworth Lord Sewell of Sanderstead Alex Sobel

Found: Gordon (Liberal Democrat; Harrogate and Knaresborough) Afzal Khan (Labour; Manchester Rusholme) Alex Sobel

Found: Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws; Afzal Khan; Lord Murray of Blidworth; Lord Sewell of Sanderstead; Alex Sobel

Found: Q19 Alex Sobel: I hope I will get in one, maybe two, before we go to vote.