Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many drugs for very rare conditions NHS England plans to assess through its specialised commissioning prioritisation process in (a) 2017-18 and (b) 2018-19.

The number of drugs for very rare diseases for their licensed indications that was declined funding by NHS England after assessment through the specialised commissioning prioritisation process was one in 2015/16 (this drug was subsequently approved via the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Highly specialised technology programme and zero in 2016/17.

The number of drugs for very rare diseases for their licensed indications that NHS England plan to assess during 2017/18 is five and six in 2018/19.