Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking in collaboration with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to ensure that clinical guidelines relating to cannabis-based medicinal products are consistent, evidence-based, and provide clarity to prescribers.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Rules around the electronic prescribing of cannabis-based medicines are no different to other drugs regulated in Schedule 2 to 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.
In England, the NHS Electronic Prescription Service enables the electronic transmission of prescriptions for Schedule 2 to 5 controlled drugs. As part of the robust system of governance and restrictions around the most addictive and harmful drugs, all private healthcare provider prescriptions for Schedule 2 and 3 controlled drugs cannot be transmitted by electronic means and must be issued on a paper FP10PCD prescription form. All paper copies of private prescriptions of Schedule 2 and 3 controlled drugs must be submitted to the NHS Business Services Authority. NHS England’s Controlled Drug Accountable Officers have a statutory duty to monitor the management and use of controlled drugs in the National Health Service and private healthcare.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) does not provide guidance on the use of medicinal cannabis. The MHRA provides guidance on manufacturing, importing, distributing, and supplying unlicensed medicines, which includes cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans.
Current guidelines on the prescribing and use of cannabis-based medicinal products, reference code NG144, is published on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence website, which is available at the following link:
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will consider enabling electronic prescribing for cannabis-based products for medicinal use, in line with other controlled drugs.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Rules around the electronic prescribing of cannabis-based medicines are no different to other drugs regulated in Schedule 2 to 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.
In England, the NHS Electronic Prescription Service enables the electronic transmission of prescriptions for Schedule 2 to 5 controlled drugs. As part of the robust system of governance and restrictions around the most addictive and harmful drugs, all private healthcare provider prescriptions for Schedule 2 and 3 controlled drugs cannot be transmitted by electronic means and must be issued on a paper FP10PCD prescription form. All paper copies of private prescriptions of Schedule 2 and 3 controlled drugs must be submitted to the NHS Business Services Authority. NHS England’s Controlled Drug Accountable Officers have a statutory duty to monitor the management and use of controlled drugs in the National Health Service and private healthcare.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) does not provide guidance on the use of medicinal cannabis. The MHRA provides guidance on manufacturing, importing, distributing, and supplying unlicensed medicines, which includes cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans.
Current guidelines on the prescribing and use of cannabis-based medicinal products, reference code NG144, is published on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence website, which is available at the following link:
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the efficacy of hospitals delivering specialist multi-disciplinary teams for patients experiencing homelessness.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department published guidance in 2024 called Discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness to support the care transfer hub, which is available at the following link:
This guidance recognises the necessity for multi-disciplinary teams. It recommends that dedicated housing options officers are embedded within the care transfer hub and advises hospitals treating over 200 homeless patients a year to offer access to a specialist multi-disciplinary homeless discharge team.
Some areas of the country have introduced High Intensity Use Services to proactively meet the needs of the most frequent attenders of the local accident and emergency, a significant portion of whom are experiencing homelessness. These services include multi-disciplinary teams that are helping to address health inequalities faced by this cohort while alleviating pressure on urgent and emergency care pathway,
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the proposed pre-filled pod ban amendment in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill prevents the sale of non-compliant imported liquids to under-age users.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill does not include any measures which would ban pre-filled vape pods, and we have no plans to amend the Bill or bring forward secondary legislation to this effect. An amendment put forward by Earl Russell that proposes to ban pre-filled pods was debated and subsequently withdrawn during the second committee session for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the House of Lords.
The Bill will enable the introduction of a new registration scheme for all tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, which will ensure that only compliant imported e-liquids are available for sale in the United Kingdom. The Bill also ensures that all vaping products, including pre-filled pods, will fall under the same age of sale of 18 years old, and new fixed penalty notices will support Trading Standards in taking swift action in relation to underage sales.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to help ensure that imported vaping liquids are subject to the same (a) safety and (b) nicotine-level testing as those produced by UK-regulated manufacturers.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill allow us to establish a new registration scheme for tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products. Under this scheme, manufacturers of vaping liquids, as well as other products, would be required to provide information verifying the product’s safety and compliance with our product rules. Alongside this, the bill provides powers to establish a more rigorous testing regime for these products. These rules will apply to products produced in the United Kingdom and those imported for sale into the UK.
There are questions on both the registration and testing of products in the recently published Call for Evidence. In this, we are seeking information on how best to implement the registration scheme, as well as elements such as testing standards. The evidence gathered will inform development of policy and a subsequent consultation. Further information on the Call for Evidence is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/tobacco-and-vapes-evidence-to-support-legislation
The future registration scheme will play an important part in enforcing our rules on product requirements. It will ensure consumer safety and improve retailer confidence in the products they are selling.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an estimate of the number of illegal vape imports that do not comply with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s notification and testing regime which have entered the UK market in the most recent period for which data is available.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Before a nicotine vape can be placed on the United Kingdom consumer market, producers or manufacturers must first submit a notification to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in accordance with the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. If the notification data is compliant, the notification will be published on the MHRA portal.
However, under the current system, there is no requirement to check a product against its notification. There is also no current testing regime for nicotine vapes – this is done on an ad hoc basis where there is concern a product does not meet regulations. Therefore, no estimate has been made.
Powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will enable us to establish a new registration scheme and more rigorous testing regime for tobacco, vaping and nicotine products.
Enforcement agencies continue to take action to ensure that illegal vapes do not reach consumers. In 2024/25, over one million illicit vapes were seized inland, and over 1.2 million illicit vapes were detained at ports by Trading Standards in England.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is the Department taking to promote earlier detection, ensure dentists, GPs and other frontline health professionals are trained to identify early warning signs, and improve timely diagnosis and referral for treatment in relation to mouth cancer.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We know that more needs to be done to improve outcomes for patients with mouth cancer. Our forthcoming National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart and will include further details on how we will speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.
To support earlier and faster cancer diagnosis, we are now delivering additional checks, tests, and scans at 170 community diagnostic centres.
Additionally, to help increase early detection of cancer, the Government has recently launched Jess’s Rule, an initiative that asks general practitioners (GPs) to think again if, after three appointments, they have been unable to diagnose a patient, or their symptoms have escalated.
We are also investing an additional £889 million in GPs, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This will help to ensure that we have a well-trained and well-equipped primary care service that can take the time to provide quality care to patients around the country.
Dentists and other dental professionals, including hygienists, routinely check the soft tissues of a patient’s mouth for signs of cancer during dental visits and, as part of the check-up, will make an assessment and record an individual’s oral cancer risk. Dentists will prioritise patients at a higher risk of oral cancer for more frequent recall and review in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Part IX medical devices process on (a) supplier confidence and (b) future investment in the UK medical devices market; and what steps he is taking to (a) improve and (b) reduce the time taken for that process.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of our development work on Part IX of the Drug Tariff reforms, we have undertaken detailed assessment of the impacts on the market and suppliers. We have worked closely with industry and the joint Department and Industry Drug Tarff Committee to ensure we understand the likely impact. The reforms are designed to support innovation while also addressing unwarranted price variation for similar products. The new enhanced assessment process will allow comparison between products based on their merits, which will increase transparency and competition and, by extension, patient choice. This approach is intended to encourage new innovative products and small and medium-sized businesses to enter the market. Suppliers may also, for the first time, apply to list products temporarily for up to two years to allow them to generate evidence to support a longer-term listing. Through temporary listings, the Department is ensuring early National Health Service access to innovative products, providing a clear and transparent route to market.
To improve the listing process, we are introducing a robust assessment framework for products, including independent clinical advisory panels supported by patient representatives. An updated application form is being introduced to streamline the process, and the NHS Business Services Authority is recruiting additional resources for renewals. We are engaging with industry throughout the process, with opportunities to collaborate on any changes during the post-action review after each category is reviewed. This review will enable us to understand if the new process operates in the way that is expected and to make any adjustments as needed. It will also review process steps to ensure its as optimal for industry as possible.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to update impact assessments for Part IX Drug Tariff reform in the context of methodological changes following the introduction of interchangeable size bandings.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Impact Assessment was shared at the consultation stage which took place between October 2023 and January 2024. It was subsequently updated to reflect the industry feedback received throughout the process, with the final version being released in August 2024.
Further detail has since been provided on the assessment of wound care in line with the existing principles that products will be grouped into clinically comparable clusters.
Therefore, when NHS Prescription Services apply these principles to wound care dressings, it is expected that dressings will be grouped into different sizes, reflecting the fact that different sized dressings meet different clinical needs.
The programme is now in the implementation stage, and the impacts will be reviewed through the agreed evaluation process for Wave 1, in collaboration with industry.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is for banning heated tobacco adverts following the Royal Assent of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward that ban.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has completed its Second Reading in the House of Lords, and Committee Stage will take place as soon as parliamentary time allows. We expect the bill to complete its passage within this parliamentary session.
The Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 prohibits the advertisement and sponsorship of tobacco products. It is the Government’s position that heated tobacco advertising is already prohibited under this legislation. To ensure clarity on the scope of legislation and to ensure it covers all current and future tobacco products, we are updating the definition of a “tobacco product” to include the wording “or consumed in any other way”. As currently drafted, the bill will bring this into force two months after Royal Assent.