Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to ensure that UK Drug Licensing continues to be linked to the European Medicines Agency after the UK leaves the EU to ensure that decisions by the two organisations are made to the same timetable.

We recognise the important role that the European Medicines Agency plays in the protection of human and animal health.

In the negotiations the Government will discuss with the European Union and Member States how best to continue cooperation in the field of medicines regulation in the best interests of both the United Kingdom and the EU.

The UK is fully committed to continuing the close working relationship with our European partners. Our aim is to ensure that patients in the UK and across the EU continue to be able to access the best and most innovative medicines and be assured that their safety is protected through the strongest regulatory framework and sharing of data. As my Rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister has stated, we want deep, broad and dynamic co-operation and in this context, the UK would like to find a way to continue to collaborate with the EU, in the interests of public health and safety.