Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the introduction of genomic testing on the UK’s position as a global centre for clinic trials and investment.

The Life Sciences Sector Plan committed to ensuring that the NHS Genomic Medicine Service works closely with industry to align genomic testing with clinical trial requirements and improve access to precision medicine. NHS England, in collaboration with partners such as the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres, is aligning the National Genomic Test Directory, which sets out the genomic tests available in the National Health Service, with clinical trial targets. A list of cancer genomic targets has been agreed with national experts and will be incorporated into routinely used next-generation sequencing panels and whole genome sequencing. This will allow these targets to be reported as part of standard care, enabling rapid patient enrolment into clinical trials. From 2025/26, NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs have begun reporting a small number of clinical trial targets, with plans to expand this coverage.