Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the ability of the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances to facilitate product innovation and patient choice.

The Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances (ACBS) application process has a specified route for innovative products seeking listing in Part XV of the Drug Tariff. This route is for new formulations where there is robust evidence of advantages in terms of nutritional composition and tolerance and acceptability for patients. Products approved and recommended by the ACBS are listed in Part XV of the Drug Tariff. The ACBS list in the Drug Tariff offers some patient choice where the relevant products are available and meet the quality criteria.