This is a good example of where there are emotionally charged, and understandably so, questions for our national health service to address, and to be properly sensitive and yet robust about our evidence base for actually making choices. And it’s a good example of whether we make choices on an evidence base, about how we use our precious and finite resources, or whether we make choices on a campaign-led basis. The honest truth is that we have an expert group that has reviewed the evidence on a clinical and cost-effectiveness basis, and they have given us their recommendation. If I simply say that I will overturn that in the absence of evidence that it is the right thing to do for the whole service, then I don’t think I’m meeting the responsibilities that I have and I take seriously as Cabinet Secretary for health for the people of Wales.

And, when we look at Scotland, they made a different choice on the evidence presented to them. It’s not for me to try and explain their system. When you speak about England, though, the cancer drugs fund has got a notice of removal around Avastin. So, this is not going to be routinely available at the end of this month in the English system, because NICE do not appraise Avastin as something that’s clinically cost effective for routine use. So, if the evidence changes, and if the price changes along with that, then of course we can look at that again.

We’ve just been through a significant review on the independent patient funding request process, to look again at these questions of how any form of health intervention is looked at to be clinically effective and cost-effective as well. And nobody disagrees that we need that twin approach to how we make decisions for our service. And that is where we need to be. Otherwise, we have a system that will not be affordable and not make good value for precious and significant public funds put in to our health service. The IPFR group review, we said it would be completed by the end of September, all clinicians up to speed and up to date. I have previously committed to providing information to Members on the new way in which that reform process will be working, and I stand by the commitments that I made, to be transparent about information, and to make sure Members are regularly updated on the current and future practice.