Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make it her policy that the UK-India free trade agreement does not increase the cost of medicines for (a) the UK, (b) India and (c) other low and middle income countries.

In negotiations with India, the UK’s approach to intellectual property (IP) is to strike a balance between rewarding research and innovation, which can benefit all countries, whilst reflecting wider public interests such as ensuring access to medicines. We will not agree to any provisions that would increase the cost of medicines for our National Health Service. The NHS, its services, and the cost of medicines are not on the table.

In addition to our work on the FTA, we remain committed to the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, and its agreed flexibilities that support access to medicines.