Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with medicines manufacturers on the minimum implementation period required to implement regulatory and business operations changes after the UK leaves the EU.

We are in regular contact with the pharmaceutical industry through the Ministerial and industry co-chaired United Kingdom-European Union Life Sciences Steering Group. Outside of this group we have consistent contact with industry and research charities. These discussions have included issues associated with shared packs and the implementation period for required regulatory and business operations changes post-Brexit. We will continue to discuss how disruption arising from our leaving the EU can be minimised for industry and supply to patients in the UK and European Member States.

The UK is fully committed to continuing the close working relationship with our European partners, and as part of the negotiations the Government will discuss with the EU and Member States how best to continue cooperation in the field of medicines regulation (including with the European Medicines Agency).

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.