Decision details

Debates are one of the most frequent items of business on the Plenary agenda. Many types of debate are brought forward in Plenary, including:

• Opposition party debates on a topic of their choice;

Other than in the case of Government debates, the time allocated for all other types of debates and their frequency are determined by the Business Committee

The item started at 16.25

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM5188 Aled Roberts (North Wales)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Expresses concern that patients in Wales are not able to access the newest and most innovative medicines and treatments available to their counterparts across the UK;

2. Welcomes the creation of a Welsh Health Technology Fund but regrets the lack of investment in new, innovative technologies from the £5million allocation for the financial year 2012-2013;

3. Notes that the pharmaceutical industry invested £4.4billion in UK research and development in 2009 which is more than any other industry sector and believes that NHS Wales needs an environment that is receptive to innovation in order to compete effectively for clinical trials at a global level;

4. Believes that spending on modern medicines should be viewed as an investment rather than a cost and therefore regrets that in 2011 new medicines used in primary care accounted for only 0.5% of total NHS expenditure in Wales; and

5. Notes that Wales is forecast to gain savings of around £186million between 2011-2015 due to Loss of Exclusivity (LOE) and calls on the Welsh Government to invest some of this money into the Health Technology Fund, to support engagement with the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) and National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) so that more patients in Wales can benefit from the latest medicines and treatments.

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - Jocelyn Davies (South Wales East)

In point 1, after ‘in Wales’ insert ‘, especially those with rare diseases,’.

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

Amendment 2 - William Graham (South Wales East)

In point 2, delete all after ‘regrets’ and replace with:

a) the lack of investment in new, innovative technologies from the £5 million allocation for the financial year 2012-2013;

b) that the Fund does not address the poor accessibility of modern cancer treatments for Welsh patients when compared to other parts of the UK.

A vote was taken on Amendment 2:

Amendment 2 was not agreed.

Amendment 3 - William Graham (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to ensure that the Welsh Health Technology Fund extends access to modern cancer treatments for patients in Wales.

A vote was taken on Amendment 3:

Amendment 3 was not agreed.

Amendment 4 - William Graham (South Wales East)

Add as new point at end of motion:

Notes that the Welsh Government’s record-breaking real terms cuts to the Welsh NHS budget have the potential to jeopardise the access to innovative medicines and treatments for patients. A vote was taken on Amendment 4:

Amendment 4 was not agreed.

As the Assembly did not agree the motion without amendment, and did not agree the amendments tabled to the motion, the motion was therefore not agreed.