Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he will take to protect access to generic medicines in low and middle-income countries when trade agreements are negotiated after the UK leaves the EU.

The UK Government has a longstanding commitment to support developing countries to reduce poverty through trade and the UK continues to be committed to the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health, which allows the world’s least developed countries to remain exempt from complying with certain intellectual property obligations on pharmaceuticals until 2033. The Doha declaration also reaffirms agreed flexibilities in the WTO’s intellectual property framework (TRIPS) that support access to medicines, including during public health emergencies in developing countries.

We will ensure that our future trade deals respect and do not contravene the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health.