Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, where data on payments made by the medicines and medical devices industries to the healthcare sector will be published, following the publication of the Government’s forthcoming guidance on payment disclosure for industry.

The Government recognises the importance of transparency and public trust in the health system. In line with Recommendation 8b of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, the Government consulted in 2023 on proposals to improve transparency of payments made by the medicines and medical devices industries to the healthcare sector.

Following consideration of the consultation responses, the Government has decided to implement guidance, rather than introduce secondary legislation under section 95 of the Health and Care Act 2022, in the first instance. The forthcoming guidance, which is expected to be published this year, will set out how and where payment information should be disclosed to ensure it is publicly accessible. Legislation remains an option for the future.