2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:27 pm on 2 October 2018.

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Photo of Julie James Julie James Labour 2:27, 2 October 2018

Yes, well, on the very important matter of the EpiPens, we are aware of the current limited availability of EpiPen products in the UK. It's a global issue, and one we're working with the UK Government and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to address. Whilst the availability of EpiPen products is indeed currently limited, alternative adrenaline auto-injectors continue to be available, and the manufacturers are working with the supply chains to increase UK supplies. Last Friday, the MHRA issued detailed guidance to healthcare professionals on actions to be taken to ensure there are adequate supplies of adrenaline auto-injectors in the UK to meet current demand. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services will make a written statement in the coming days, setting out the detail of the mitigating actions being put in place, in light of the importance placed on it, and the Member raising it today in the business statement. But any patient unable to obtain supplies of an EpiPen should speak to their clinician without delay about using an alternative adrenaline auto-injector device, to ensure that they are safely covered—especially in the light of the tragic case that has been in the news recently.

In terms of the statement around the statue and the celebration, yes, I'm very happy to work with the Cabinet Secretary for Education to make sure that we can, either one of us, bring something forward about the importance of historic peace figures, especially in the light of the end of the first world war celebrations, and a number of other things, to make sure that the statues are interactive. The Member will know that I am very keen on having QR codes and so on put on statues, so that they come to life as we go around, and we can certainly look into that.