Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on improving the UK's standing as a global life sciences hub and the use of the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing Access.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
As the accountable Secretaries of State for the Life Sciences Vision, the Government and life sciences sector’s blueprint for ensuring the UK becomes a world leading science superpower and global life sciences leader, my Rt. Hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care are regularly engaged in discussions on how we can deliver on the ambitions of the Vision for the economy and for NHS patients.
This was the subject of discussion at the most recent Life Sciences Council on the 28th of November, where the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing Access was also discussed.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to open the Government Office for Technology Transfer; and whether he will include in that Office's remit an objective of promoting closer collaboration between academia and industry to enhance the UK's translation capabilities in life sciences.
Answered by Jane Hunt
The Government Office for Technology Transfer (GOTT) will formally launch in Autumn 2022. GOTT will support central government departments and arm’s length bodies to deliver a step change in the management of the social, economic, and financial value of their knowledge assets for the benefit of the UK economy and the UK taxpayer. Sector agnostic, GOTT will serve as an advisor, leader and convener and act as a focal point for those that can enable the asset to reach its potential, including private sector investors, academia and industry.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the ambition in the Life Sciences Vision to develop a highly skilled workforce, what steps he is taking to develop (a) translational research and (b) broader life sciences research talent in the UK.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government is committed to developing Life Sciences research talent as part of its vision to make the UK the leading global hub for Life Sciences.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) directs around £85 million each year towards developing research careers, supporting around 1,600 PhD students.
Translational research is supported by MRC’s successful translational funding strategy, which seeks to progress innovative discovery science towards clinical utility.
In addition, Innovate UK supports the development of translation research skills through the Biomedical Catalyst Accelerator programme, which focusses on priority areas highlighted in the Life Sciences Vision, such as oncology and neurodegeneration.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Global Britain Investment Fund will open for investment for new medicines manufacturing; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the fund supports innovative, smaller biotechnology companies.
Answered by George Freeman
The Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF) was announced on 2 March 2022. This £60 million capital grant scheme welcomes applications from SMEs with innovative proposals, including biotechnology companies.
The UK has one of the strongest life sciences industries globally. In 2020, the value of life sciences inward FDI totalled £900m, ranking second only to the US in the number of projects. The UK also performs well in R&D spend, securing £4.8bn by UK pharmaceuticals in 2019 and 18% of our total industrial R&D spend. The new £1.4bn Global Britain Investment Fund (GBIF) will build on the strengthens of this sector by providing £354 million in grant support for UK life sciences manufacturing. This will ensure internationally mobile companies invest in cutting edge, innovative manufacturing projects right here in the UK.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect of the UK's regulatory framework on the number of life sciences companies that deem it necessary to conduct clinical trials outside of the UK; and whether he has plans to make exceptions under the existing framework to enable more UK-based life science companies to conduct trials within the UK.
Answered by George Freeman
There has been no change to the number of applications to the MHRA for clinical trials over the past 5 years. We are committed to developing a world-leading regulatory system for clinical trials that allows us to collaborate effectively globally and maintains and enhances the attractiveness of the UK as a site for clinical trials. The MHRA are planning to launch a public consultation shortly on a set of proposals to improve and strengthen the UK clinical trials legislation (the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004 as amended), to help us make the UK the best place to research and develop safe and innovative medicines. We have the opportunity to improve our regulation to support clinical trials in the best interests of patients, in line with the ambitions of the Life Sciences Vision to make the UK the leading global centre for innovative research design and delivery, across all types and phases of trials. Through the legislative proposals outlined in the consultation, we aim to streamline clinical trials approvals, enable innovation, enhance clinical trials transparency, enable greater risk proportionality, and promote patient and public involvement in clinical trials.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is planning to take to help ensure that changes to NICE methods and processes support the Life Sciences Vision's strategic goals.
Answered by George Freeman
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) plays a crucial role in sustaining the UK’s position as a life sciences superpower and will continue to play a pivotal role in delivering the ambitions set out in the Life Sciences Vision, which was co-developed by Government and the sector.
As reflected in Life Sciences Vision, NICE is continuing to deliver its high ambition Methods and Process Review. This will ensure NICE retains its global leadership in the evaluation and appraisal of new medicines and technologies.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will continue to work closely with the wide range of public and private sector bodies and stakeholders across the sector, including NICE, to deliver the Life Sciences Vision.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the proposals for change to NICE methods and processes in the context of the Life Sciences Vision published in July 2021.
Answered by George Freeman
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) plays a crucial role in sustaining the UK’s position as a life sciences superpower and will continue to play a pivotal role in delivering the ambitions set out in the Life Sciences Vision, which was co-developed by Government and the sector.
NICE is continuing to deliver its Methods Review which will ensure NICE retains its global leadership in the evaluation and appraisal of new medicines and technologies. As an independent body, NICE is responsible for its own methods and processes.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will continue to work closely with the wide range of public and private sector bodies and stakeholders across the sector, including NICE, to deliver the Life Sciences Vision.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to encourage R&D investment in highly-skilled pharmaceutical manufacturing in the UK.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The UK Government will invest £14.9 billion in R&D this year, bringing investment to its highest level in four decades. This is a major step towards our commitment to increase total public and private R&D investment to 2.4 per cent of GDP by 2027.
Through the Manufacturing Made Smarter Challenge, the government will invest £147 million (matched by a minimum of £147 million from industry) to transform the UK’s manufacturing capabilities through the development and adoption of industrial digital technologies. The Challenge will support businesses to implement new tech to boost their manufacturing productivity, helping them reach new customers, create thousands of new highly skilled jobs, slash carbon emissions and reduce prices for customers.
The Government has also recently launched the Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund (MDMTF), a £20 million fund offering capital grants to businesses, incentivising them to place internationally mobile high value manufacturing investments in the UK. The MDMTF will increase the production of medicines and diagnostic equipment in the UK. In doing so, it seeks also to support companies in adopting new technologies which boost productivity, drive down costs and which have less impact on the environment.
The Government will also publish a Life Sciences Vision later this year which will set out our ambition for supporting growth of the life sciences sector, including in manufacturing.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has allocated any financial or other resources from his Department's budget to investigate potential future uses by his Department of the NHS Test and Trace database system.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
To date, no financial or other resources have been allocated from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) budget to investigate potential future uses by the department of the NHS Test and Trace database system.
Asked by: Chris Green (Conservative - Bolton West)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to use the NHS Test and Trace database system.
Answered by Amanda Solloway
The corporate functions of the Department do not have access to the NHS Test and Trace database system. The Department therefore does not currently plan to use it.