Tag: Lord Clement-Jones

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect a reimbursement decision on each of the drugs launched since June 2015 that were affected by the pause in listing new drugs on the Cancer Drugs Fund list.

Lord Prior of Brampton

Since June 2015, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published final technology appraisal guidance on the cancer drugs/indications listed in the following table.

Topic title	Final guidance publication
Melanoma (unresectable, metastatic) – pembrolizumab (after ipilimumab) [TA357]	October 2015
Melanoma (unresectable, metastatic, ipilimumab naive) – pembrolizumab [TA366]	November 2015
Multiple myeloma – panobinostat (post 1 prior therapy) [TA380]	January 2016
Melanoma (advanced, unresectable, metastatic) – nivolumab [TA384]	February 2016

NHS England has advised that it envisages, under the new arrangements for the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF), that a greater number of cancer drugs will be funded from baseline commissioning. Under the new process, any drugs that receive either a draft recommendation for routine commissioning or, where uncertainty exists, a recommendation for use within the CDF, will receive interim funding from the CDF from the point of marketing authorisation.

NICE has advised that it is unable to provide a forecast as to when this will occur for technology appraisals published during the first year of the new CDF as this will depend on a number of factors including the value proposition put forward by manufacturers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-03-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the average earnings for (1) men, (2) women, and (3) all individuals, aged between 22 and 24 inclusive who are in possession of a first degree and who are not in full-time education in (a) the North East, (b) the North West, (c) Yorkshire, (d) the East Midlands, (e) the West Midlands, (f) East Anglia, (g) London, (h) the South East, (i) the South West, (j) Wales, (k) Scotland, and (l) Northern Ireland.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many cancer medicines are expected to be given a conditional approval by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the first year of operation of the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has advised that it is unable to provide a forecast as the number of technology appraisals published during the first year of the new Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) will depend on a number of factors including the value proposition put forward by manufacturers.

NHS England has advised that it envisages, under the new arrangements for the CDF, that a greater number of cancer drugs will be funded from baseline commissioning. This will be as a consequence of more appropriate pricing arrangements proposed by pharmaceutical manufacturers and better evidence being available through the Fund as to longer term patient outcomes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-03-03.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the average earnings for (1) men, (2) women, and (3) all individuals, aged between 22 and 24 inclusive who are in possession of a first degree and who are not in full-time education in each of the 50 most populous cities in the UK.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, under the new Cancer Drugs Fund, what steps will be taken to secure early patient access to cancer medicines with Promising Innovative Medicines designation that have successfully passed through the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency’s Early Access to Medicines Scheme.

Lord Prior of Brampton

NHS England has advised that, under the proposals considered and approved by NHS England’s Board on 25 February 2016, the new Cancer Drugs Fund will provide access at drug launch for drug/indications which have a draft National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommendation for use including those drugs that have successfully been through the Early Access to Medicines Scheme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-09-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with other EU governments regarding the position the EU plans to take at the forthcoming CITES conference regarding bans on domestic ivory markets.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

A number of proposals on elephant and ivory related issues will be discussed at the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to be held in South Africa between 24 September 2016 and 5 October 2016. This will include discussions on the existing global ban on the trade in ivory, which the UK is committed to maintaining, and the role of domestic ivory markets in illegal trade. Officials have engaged in substantial discussions with counterparts from other EU Member States on these and other issues over several months in formulating the EU and Member State position at the CITES Conference. The UK will continue to play a full role in these discussions.

The then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs, Rory Stewart, discussed the issue of the closure of domestic ivory markets with the Government of the United States (US) during a trip earlier this year. In addition officials in Defra are in regular contact with their US counterparts and have discussed the US measures on a number of occasions.

The Government has been actively exploring options with relevant parties about how to implement the UK Government’s manifesto commitment to press for a total ban on ivory sales and the steps to be taken in respect of the UK’s ivory market. On 21 September 2016 the Secretary of State announced plans for a ban on sales of items containing ivory dated between 1947 and the present day, putting UK rules on ivory sales among the world’s toughest.

The Government will consult on plans for the ban early next year, seeking views from conservationists, traders and other relevant parties to ensure clear rules and guidance for those operating within the law, while cracking down on illegal sales. This will complement the existing UK ban on trade in raw ivory tusks. Trade in raw tusks presents the greatest risk of poached ivory entering the legal market.

TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring organisation, has recently published its independent report – A Rapid Survey of the UK ivory market. Although not an exact comparison with a survey conducted in 2004, TRAFFIC’s survey found the number of market stalls offering ivory for sale had declined by approximately two-thirds and the number of items offered for sale had halved. No new or raw ivory was seen in any of the physical market outlets or online platforms— only one ivory item seen for sale was reportedly from after the legal cut-off (1947) for antique ivory being sold without CITES documentation within the EU. Ivory is a key UK wildlife crime priority with an enforcement action plan in place to tackle risk. For example, UK Border Force through Operation Quiver has in particular successfully targeted ivory sent through postal systems.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the ability of NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to introduce the new Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) process from 1 April and manage the transition from the old CDF in relation to (1) timelines for the publication of Standard Operating Procedures and methodology changes, (2) the number of staff working on NICE appraisals, (3) the number of Appraisal Committee meetings required, and (4) external input required from Economic Reference Groups, clinicians, patient organisations, and manufacturers.

Lord Prior of Brampton

NHS England’s Board agreed, on 25 February 2016, a way forward which will see the proposed new arrangements for the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) going live on 1 July 2016.

We expect both NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to work together to ensure that both organisations have the necessary capability and capacity to implement these proposals.

The NICE Board will be considering the implications of NHS England’s decision at its meeting on 16 March 2015.

The Accelerated Access Review is actively engaging with NHS England to ensure alignment between the work of the review on speeding up access for NHS patients to innovative and cost effective new medicines and the CDF.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-09-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are taking steps to close the domestic ivory market, including the market in ivory products.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

A number of proposals on elephant and ivory related issues will be discussed at the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to be held in South Africa between 24 September 2016 and 5 October 2016. This will include discussions on the existing global ban on the trade in ivory, which the UK is committed to maintaining, and the role of domestic ivory markets in illegal trade. Officials have engaged in substantial discussions with counterparts from other EU Member States on these and other issues over several months in formulating the EU and Member State position at the CITES Conference. The UK will continue to play a full role in these discussions.

The then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs, Rory Stewart, discussed the issue of the closure of domestic ivory markets with the Government of the United States (US) during a trip earlier this year. In addition officials in Defra are in regular contact with their US counterparts and have discussed the US measures on a number of occasions.

The Government has been actively exploring options with relevant parties about how to implement the UK Government’s manifesto commitment to press for a total ban on ivory sales and the steps to be taken in respect of the UK’s ivory market. On 21 September 2016 the Secretary of State announced plans for a ban on sales of items containing ivory dated between 1947 and the present day, putting UK rules on ivory sales among the world’s toughest.

The Government will consult on plans for the ban early next year, seeking views from conservationists, traders and other relevant parties to ensure clear rules and guidance for those operating within the law, while cracking down on illegal sales. This will complement the existing UK ban on trade in raw ivory tusks. Trade in raw tusks presents the greatest risk of poached ivory entering the legal market.

TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring organisation, has recently published its independent report – A Rapid Survey of the UK ivory market. Although not an exact comparison with a survey conducted in 2004, TRAFFIC’s survey found the number of market stalls offering ivory for sale had declined by approximately two-thirds and the number of items offered for sale had halved. No new or raw ivory was seen in any of the physical market outlets or online platforms— only one ivory item seen for sale was reportedly from after the legal cut-off (1947) for antique ivory being sold without CITES documentation within the EU. Ivory is a key UK wildlife crime priority with an enforcement action plan in place to tackle risk. For example, UK Border Force through Operation Quiver has in particular successfully targeted ivory sent through postal systems.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-02-24.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the agreement that NHS England and the pharmaceutical industry would share the financial risks of cost over-runs in the Cancer Drugs Fund, why it has been decided that the pharmaceutical industry will carry all of those costs.

Lord Prior of Brampton

NHS England plans to invest in a new £340 million Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) to provide early access to cancer drug indications. Under the new process, any drugs that receive either a draft recommendation for routine commissioning or, where uncertainty exists, a recommendation for use within the CDF, will receive interim funding from the CDF from the point of marketing authorisation.

This earlier access to cancer drugs will benefit both patients and the pharmaceutical industry and NHS England believes it is only fair that the pharmaceutical industry makes a contribution if any overspend occurs.

NHS England’s impact assessment will not be completed until the detailed outcomes from the current consultation on the future of the CDF are confirmed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Clement-Jones on 2016-09-15.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role the legal domestic ivory market in the UK has in facilitating illegal trade in ivory.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

A number of proposals on elephant and ivory related issues will be discussed at the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to be held in South Africa between 24 September 2016 and 5 October 2016. This will include discussions on the existing global ban on the trade in ivory, which the UK is committed to maintaining, and the role of domestic ivory markets in illegal trade. Officials have engaged in substantial discussions with counterparts from other EU Member States on these and other issues over several months in formulating the EU and Member State position at the CITES Conference. The UK will continue to play a full role in these discussions.

The then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs, Rory Stewart, discussed the issue of the closure of domestic ivory markets with the Government of the United States (US) during a trip earlier this year. In addition officials in Defra are in regular contact with their US counterparts and have discussed the US measures on a number of occasions.

The Government has been actively exploring options with relevant parties about how to implement the UK Government’s manifesto commitment to press for a total ban on ivory sales and the steps to be taken in respect of the UK’s ivory market. On 21 September 2016 the Secretary of State announced plans for a ban on sales of items containing ivory dated between 1947 and the present day, putting UK rules on ivory sales among the world’s toughest.

The Government will consult on plans for the ban early next year, seeking views from conservationists, traders and other relevant parties to ensure clear rules and guidance for those operating within the law, while cracking down on illegal sales. This will complement the existing UK ban on trade in raw ivory tusks. Trade in raw tusks presents the greatest risk of poached ivory entering the legal market.

TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring organisation, has recently published its independent report – A Rapid Survey of the UK ivory market. Although not an exact comparison with a survey conducted in 2004, TRAFFIC’s survey found the number of market stalls offering ivory for sale had declined by approximately two-thirds and the number of items offered for sale had halved. No new or raw ivory was seen in any of the physical market outlets or online platforms— only one ivory item seen for sale was reportedly from after the legal cut-off (1947) for antique ivory being sold without CITES documentation within the EU. Ivory is a key UK wildlife crime priority with an enforcement action plan in place to tackle risk. For example, UK Border Force through Operation Quiver has in particular successfully targeted ivory sent through postal systems.