Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 21 March (HL5868), what steps they will take to uphold the provisions of Chapter 4 of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s Blue Guide, which sets out the general rules for advertising medicines to both healthcare workers and the public, and states there is a requirement not to exaggerate the benefits of medicines; and whether the reference in Chapter 4 to section 6.6 “for more information on safety claims” implies that the rules around the use of the word “safe” are applicable to advertising aimed at the general public.

The Department is committed to following the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Blue book and Advertising Standards Agency guidelines. Careful consideration is given to what guidance is applicable to the campaigns that are run. Government campaigns to encourage routine vaccination uptake are considered as public health interventions and therefore sit outside the scope of United Kingdom advertising regulations, which are interpreted in the MHRA Blue Guide. Whether or not specific guidance applies, all campaign messaging is subject to rigorous clinical and policy approvals, to ensure information is communicated accurately.