Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 111610, on medicine: research, for what reasons it is not possible to assess the contribution made by public investment or private investment in bringing medicines to market.

Many countries invest public funds in research and development (R&D), often at an early stage. Some of this will contribute to basic science that will provide the fundamental knowledge and tools from which many different applications, including new medicines, may ultimately be developed. Some will be applied research related to a specific clinical application. Private companies also invest in R&D, which may build on the results of both basic and applied research supported through public or private funding. Many potential medicines are taken part way through development but are not ultimately found to be suitable for clinical use, but this process provides an important part of the knowledge base that will go on to support future medicines development. Given all of these different factors that contribute to medicine development, it is not possible to assess the contribution made by public investment or private investment in bringing products to market.