Written questions

NHS: Drugs

Commons · Question 91860 · Tabled 17 Nov 2025 · Department of Health and Social Care · Official record

Answered 25 Nov 2025

Question

Asked by Jim Allister

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of how major pharmaceutical companies’ pricing strategies affect the VPAG’s ability to control NHS spending; and what steps are being taken to prevent higher

Answer

Answered by Zubir Ahmed, 25 Nov 2025

The Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) controls the cost of sales of branded medicines to the National Health Service. The VPAG has a variable headline payment percentage, which accounts for changes to the cost of med...