Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the NICE process for reviewing new treatments for rare diseases.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is the independent, expert body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on whether drugs and other treatments represent an effective use of NHS resources. The methods and processes it uses in the development of its guidance are internationally respected and have been developed through extensive engagement with a full range of stakeholders, including the Department, and are periodically reviewed to ensure that they remain fit for purpose.