Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made in supporting the development of new treatments for serious diseases, including through the Cancer Drugs Fund; and what future plans he has to support the development of such treatments through (a) the Cancer Drugs Fund and (b) the Innovative Medicines Fund.

The Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) supports patient access to the most promising new licensed cancer medicines and has benefitted more than 80,000 patients, with funding provided for 96 medicines treating 218 different cancers. We are providing £340 million for the Innovative Medicines Fund (IMF) will support early access for National Health Service patients to new non-cancer medicines while further evidence is collected to address clinical uncertainty. This data will inform a future National Institute for Care and Health Excellence assessment of whether the medicine is cost effective. In addition, the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway and Project Orbis will support the rapid introduction of effective new medicines for the benefit of NHS patients.