Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has received (a) evidence and (b) data from the life sciences industry on increasing the NHS medicines budget.

We regularly engage with the life sciences sector to understand what the latest data and evidence shows about the impact of Government policies on patient outcomes, innovation, and growth, including through the ongoing Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access, and Growth mid scheme review. We take all evidence we receive seriously and, alongside our own analysis and patient engagement, use this to refine our policy thinking. Decisions on the size of the medicines budget are, therefore, taken in the round considering the overall needs of the health system as well as the impact on the sector.