Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what safeguards are in place to ensure that the (a) price of drugs and (b) NHS including its services and patient data are not compromised in future trade deals.

The NHS, the price it pays for drugs and its services are not for sale. The United Kingdom’s published objectives for negotiations with new trade partners make it clear that we will not agree measures that undermine HM Government’s ability to deliver on our manifesto commitments to the NHS.

The United Kingdom’s trade agreements do not undermine the safeguards that we have in place around health and care data. HM Government is clear that health and care data should only ever be used and/or shared where used lawfully, treated with respect, held securely and where the right safeguards are in place. The United Kingdom’s high standards of data protection will be maintained.