Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government remains committed to doubling the number of places on the PrEP Impact Trial; and what steps he is taking towards achieving that goal.

Following my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care’s announcement on 30 January that the number of places on the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Impact Trial would be doubled to 26,000, expansion of the trial is now underway across the country.

NHS England has committed to funding the PrEP drug and research costs of these additional places, in line with current arrangements. Around 80% of participating clinics have now confirmed they have the capacity to accept additional trial places and the majority of sites have also received approval from their Local Authority commissioners to proceed. In London, boroughs have so far agreed to accept 60% of the total number of additional places available to them. London local authority commissioners have been asked to confirm whether they can accept any further additional places. In addition, sexual health services not taking part in the trial have been given an opportunity to participate following trial expansion.