Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his Department’s approach is to working with other departments on issues of intellectual property barriers to accessing affordable medicines.

The Government recognises the vital role of intellectual property rights as an incentive and reward for research, development, and innovation. Organisations across Government, including the Department, Intellectual Property Office, NHS England, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority, work together to support intellectual property rights holders while promoting best value treatment for National Health Service patients by ensuring a highly competitive environment for generic entrants where intellectual property rights have expired.