Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has taken steps to stockpile Naproxen.

Supplies of naproxen tablets are currently available but are limited due to a manufacturing issue that has affected the availability of the active pharmaceutical ingredient. The Department is working closely with all suppliers to resolve the situation and expedite further deliveries as soon as possible. Additional deliveries of naproxen are expected throughout January and February.

As a responsible Government, we continue to prepare proportionately for all scenarios following our exit from the European Union in March 2019, including a ‘no-deal’ scenario. This includes asking pharmaceutical companies to have six weeks additional supply of all pharmacy and prescription-only medicines which enter the United Kingdom from, or via, the European Union or European Economic Area over and above their business as usual stocks.