Extract from
PMQs
Dr (Central Ayrshire)
(SNP): Q5. The European Medicines Agency provides a
single drug licensing system for 500 million people and results
in the UK having drugs licensed six to 12 months ahead of
countries like Canada and Australia. Yesterday, the Health
Secretary stated that the UK will not be in the EMA, so can the
Prime Minister confirm this and explain how she will prevent
delayed drug access for UK patients? [908367]
The Prime Minister: There are a number of
organisations that we are part of as members of the European
Union. As part of the work that we are doing to look at the
United Kingdom’s future after we leave the European Union, we are
looking at the arrangements we can put in place in relation to
those issues. The pharmaceutical industry in this country is a
very important part of our economy, and the ability of people to
access these new drugs is also important. I assure the hon. Lady
that we are looking seriously at this and will ensure that we
have the arrangements that we need.
Extract from
Westminster Hall debate on Palace of Westminster:
Restoration and Renewal
(Saffron Walden)
(Con):...During the last Parliament, when I was
Chairman of the Administration Committee, I was privy to some of
the work that was going on, and I came rapidly to the conclusion
that has been reached in similar circumstances by the Parliaments
of Austria, Canada and Finland: if a major
exercise of this kind has to be done, the only sensible thing for
us to do is to get out of the building and let the work be done.
Some 12 months of study were undertaken by our colleagues in the
other place and in the House of Commons, and having gone into the
detail and consulted independent experts, they are persuaded that
that approach is right for us, too. Colleagues can rake over the
independent options appraisal—they can look at it and play with
the figures and estimates as much as they like—but it is crystal
clear that option 3 would take less time than option 2, option 2
would take less time than option 1, and in each case, less time
means less cost...
(Walsall South)
(Lab):...The right hon. Member for Saffron Walden
(Sir Alan Haselhurst) mentioned Canada. I had the opportunity, with the
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, to
visit Canada. Quite by chance, we were taken
to the mock chamber that the parliamentarians there had and, in
the best tradition of “Blue Peter”, I have here one that I made
earlier—a picture of it. Obviously, it cannot be read into
Hansard, but it does give a nice flavour of what can be done, if
hon. Members want to see it later. It is a beautiful chamber. All
of us may feel very comfortable debating in this Chamber now, but
if we were given a chamber in the Department of Health that had
desks, we would realise how good it would be to debate like a
proper, modern Parliament and we might even not want to come back
to the old Chamber. Canada’s temporary chamber is not just
in a courtyard. It is a beautiful building and, engineering-wise,
it shows what can be done—a visit to Canada might
be in order....
To read the whole debate, CLICK
HERE
Extract from Committee
stage (Lords) (day 6) of the Higher Education and Research
Bill
(Con):...The terms which apply to students once here are
again highly competitive. International students attending higher
education institutions are allowed to work 20 hours per week
during term time, the maximum that is compatible with devoting
sufficient time to their studies, and similar to the rules in the
United States, Australia and Canada. International students are
additionally allowed to work full-time during holidays...
To read the whole debate, CLICK
HERE
