Asked by: Karl McCartney (Conservative - Lincoln)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled 2024 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access and growth: summary of the heads of agreement, published on 20 November 2023, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of these policies on life science SMEs.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government’s Life Sciences Vision sets out our ambition to develop a globally competitive life sciences investment ecosystem in the United Kingdom. While no assessment has been made, the 2024 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access and growth includes several policies that will benefit innovative companies and drive innovation into the United Kingdom. This includes an exemption from payment for small companies with under £6m of sales to the National Health Service and a taper for medium sized companies with between £6 million and £30 million of sales.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, for each year since 2013, what number of people were working in each of the nine sub-sectors of the creative industries, and what contribution each sub-sector has made to the economy.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The UK’s creative industries are worth more than the life sciences, automotive manufacturing, aerospace, and oil and gas sectors put together, generating £126 billion annually and employing over 2.4 million people across the country.
As set out in the Government’s Creative Industries Sector Vision, our ambition is to grow this sector by a further £50 billion gross value added and to support one million more jobs by 2030, delivering a creative careers promise which builds a pipeline of talent.
Each sub-sector of the creative industries makes a distinct contribution to the UK economy. The information requested is shown in the following tables:
Number of people working in each creative industries sub-sector (000s):
| Advertising and marketing | Architecture | Crafts | Design and designer fashion | Film, TV, radio and photography | IT, software and computer services | Publishing | Museums, Galleries and Libraries | Music, performing and visual arts |
2013 | 155 | 94 | 8 | 124 | 232 | 574 | 198 | 85 | 244 |
2014 | 167 | 101 | 8 | 136 | 228 | 607 | 193 | 84 | 284 |
2015 | 182 | 90 | 7 | 132 | 231 | 640 | 200 | 97 | 286 |
2016 | 198 | 98 | 7 | 160 | 246 | 674 | 193 | 92 | 291 |
2017 | 190 | 104 | 10 | 160 | 261 | 712 | 192 | 96 | 283 |
2018 | 195 | 111 | 9 | 163 | 245 | 733 | 199 | 89 | 296 |
2019 | 190 | 112 | 9 | 171 | 239 | 775 | 196 | 95 | 315 |
2020 | 201 | 115 | 8 | 151 | 279 | 872 | 197 | 104 | 294 |
2021 | 226 | 106 | 7 | 160 | 290 | 963 | 199 | 94 | 294 |
2022 | 241 | 110 | 5 | 139 | 280 | 1,035 | 209 | 96 | 283 |
Contribution to economy of each creative industries sub-sector, as measured by gross value added (GVA) (£ billions):
| Advertising and marketing | Architecture | Crafts | Design and designer fashion | Film, TV, radio and photography | IT, software and computer services | Publishing | Museums, Galleries and Libraries | Music, performing and visual arts |
2013 | 13.2 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 2.3 | 18.2 | 29.9 | 11.4 | 1 | 9.7 |
2014 | 13.3 | 3 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 18.1 | 32.6 | 11.4 | 0.8 | 8.6 |
2015 | 17 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 19.4 | 33.5 | 11.1 | 0.9 | 9.6 |
2016 | 15.7 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 3 | 20 | 37.6 | 11.4 | 0.9 | 9.3 |
2017 | 16.8 | 3.7 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 19.7 | 38.2 | 10.6 | 1 | 9.6 |
2018 | 16.4 | 3.5 | 0.3 | 3.3 | 19.2 | 40 | 10.4 | 0.9 | 10.2 |
2019 | 15.8 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 3 | 20.2 | 41.3 | 10.7 | 1 | 10.1 |
2020 | 15.9 | 3.2 | 0.1 | 2.4 | 17.8 | 42.9 | 10.1 | 0.6 | 7.4 |
2021* | 18.2 | 3.5 | 0.4 | 3.1 | 19.9 | 48.8 | 11.3 | 1 | 8.9 |
2022* | 18.8 | 3.7 | 0.4 | 3.2 | 20.8 | 55.4 | 11.6 | 1 | 11.2 |
*Figures for 2021 and 2022 are summed monthly GVA estimates as annual GVA estimates are not yet available. These figures are subject to revision and not directly comparable to the annual GVA estimates for 2013-2020 due to being calculated via a different method.
Source: Economic Estimates: GVA for DCMS Sectors and the Digital Sector, 2020 - GOV.UK (Annual GVA 2013-2020); DCMS and Digital Economic Estimates: Monthly GVA (to Sept 2023) - GOV.UK (Summed monthly GVA 2021-2022)
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Prime Minister unveils £29.5 billion of investment at historic Global Investment Summit, published on 27 November 2023, how much and what proportion of the funding will be invested in each region of the UK.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Global Investment Summit was a roaring success, unveiling £29.5 billion of investment, creating 12,000 jobs in some of the fastest-growing sectors of the UK, including data centres to support AI and life sciences.
Many of the projects announced are nationwide in their application so we cannot forecast regional spend of the combined investment total. We are working with investors to ensure the projects deliver the maximum economic benefit.
The investment announced on the day is a colossal vote of confidence in the UK and this government, and the benefits will be felt across the whole of the UK.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many times she has met officials from the Office for Life Sciences since 7 February 2023; and what correspondence she has had with the that organisation in the same time period.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade has had no meetings with the Office of Life Sciences (OLS) since 7 February 2023 and there are no records of correspondence between the Secretary of State and the OLS for the same time period.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to identify new uses for AI in the public sector.
Answered by Paul Scully
The UK government is taking a leading role promoting ethical, safe and responsible adoption of AI, as illustrated by our leadership of the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park last week. This includes the use of AI to improve public services and boost public sector productivity.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is looking to identify new uses for AI in the public sector. Examples include: the AI Life Sciences Accelerator Mission giving £100 million of funding to capitalise on AI’s game-changing potential in healthcare; the Department for Education providing up to £2million to Oak National Academy to improve and expand Artificial Intelligence tools for teachers; the Department of Health and Social Care using AI to identify language indicating mental distress in public social media posts and signposting people to a NHS-endorsed mental health service; and the Royal Navy using AI to connect with potential recruits faster through an AI-driven virtual recruiter.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to UK life sciences and investment in the innovation pipeline to build on recent successes such as the development of a malaria vaccine by the Oxford-based Jenner Institute.
Answered by Viscount Camrose - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The UK has an exceptional life sciences sector, and the UK Government is committed to supporting it. We work closely with industry, including through strategic partnerships, such as the 10-year partnership with Moderna and strategic collaboration with BioNTech, delivering innovation to UK patients.
Following the Life Sciences Vision launched in 2022, we announced in May a further £650m to drive growth and bring innovative treatments to the NHS, including £121m to improve commercial clinical trials, £48m for a new biomanufacturing fund, and £154m to increase the capacity of the UK Biobank.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many officials in her Department were working on the Trade and Investment Hub with a focus on Northern Ireland on 20 October 2023.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
In 2022 the Department for Business and Trade established a trade and investment hub in Northern Ireland.
There are currently ten officials working in the hub, led by a senior civil servant. Roles include leads for key Northern Ireland sectors, such as advanced technology and manufacturing, life and health sciences, agriculture, food and drink and the creative industries.
The team work closely with local partners and are dedicated to ensuring businesses across Northern Ireland have access to DBT services, help businesses understand what trade opportunities are available to them, and ensure Northern Ireland business interests are represented in trade policy.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of (a) the potential impact of the level of the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access payment percentages on and (b) other factors affecting the decisions by pharmaceutical companies on whether to invest in the UK.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government has considered in broad terms the link between volume-based rebate payments in our medicine pricing schemes and various kinds of investment in our Impact Assessment of updates to the Statutory Scheme for branded medicines pricing, which operates alongside voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access. The Government’s 2023 Impact Assessment of updates to the Statutory Scheme is available at the following link:
We are in close discussions with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Business and Trade about the business environment for life sciences and its impact on investment.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has taken recent steps to help tackle the growth of (a) gain-of-function research and (b) any other research that modifies a virus or other pathogen to make it more transmissible, virulent and pathogenic in (i) the UK and (ii) other countries; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The United Kingdom has extensive legislative controls to ensure the safety and security of biological research into human, animal and plant pathogens. All life sciences companies operating in the UK must adhere to UK ethics standards, research codes of conduct and associated legal obligations.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 potential impact of the cap mechanism in the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access on (a) levels of investment in late stage clinical trials and (b) decisions taken by pharmaceutical companies regarding (i) whether and (ii) when to launch medicines in the UK.
Answered by Will Quince
The Government has assessed the link between the cap mechanism in our medicine pricing schemes and various kinds of investment in our impact assessment of recent updates to the statutory scheme for branded medicines pricing, which operates alongside the voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access (VPAS). The Government’s 2023 impact assessment of updates to the statutory scheme is available at the following link:
The Government is working to better understand the impacts the operation of the current VPAS on the United Kingdom’s life sciences industry. We are in direct conversations with pharmaceutical companies, including in the recent pre-negotiation workshops, as well as the Department for Science Innovation and Technology, and Department for Business and Trade about the business environment for life sciences.
Controlling medicine spend is a key departmental aim for both current and future schemes to improve patient outcomes by simplifying, streamlining, and improving access, pricing, and uptake arrangements for cost effective medicines, and deliver faster adoption of most clinically and cost-effective medicines.