Weight Loss Medication

Lord Balfe Excerpts

Monday 21st July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

My noble friend is right that there is a lot of attention on the food industry, and that is why so many programmes are now being targeted against advertising to children, et cetera. We will continue to work to make sure that that industry takes due regard of the impact of its products, and to do everything we can to improve regulation.

[Lord Balfe (Con)]

My Lord, one of the problems we have is that a number of medicines that are available privately are not available on the NHS. I am thinking in particular of medicines for prostate cancer. I happen to know that the DHSC is currently looking at a regime for them. Perhaps the Minister could look at the United States, where, at least in some states, there is a limit on the amount of profit that can be taken from privately supplying medicines—in other words, a costing regime—and also at whether the range of consultees on this matter could be slightly widened to include some noble Lords in this House who have been writing to the department for about six months now attempting to get a dialogue going.

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

The noble Lord is right that interest in this area from this House and the other House has been very high. I think it is because of the progress that has been made. Of course, everyone looks at practice, in this country and other countries, to inform how we work. There is no doubt that those who can afford to pay to have access privately are seeing a significant difference. We want to make sure that we move forward so that the treatment is available for everyone.