APPG on Pharmacy – Pharmacy in Parliament – January 2026.

Welcome back to the APPG on Pharmacy Parliamentary Update for January 2026. Parliament has returned from the Christmas recess to a busy start to the year, with notable activity across both Houses. Below, you’ll find a summary of the key parliamentary and policy developments shaping community pharmacy in recent weeks.

Key Parliamentary Activity

Oral Contributions:

Primary Care in Epping Forest: House Building Targets. 13th January 2026. House of Commons. Full transcript available here.

  • Dr Luke Evans (Conservative): Raised a question to the Government on the number of pharmacy contracts that ceased in England during 2025.

  • In response, the Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock (Labour) noted that there had been a 19% uplift in the funding for community pharmacies in the last spending review. Stephen Kinnock, when challenged by Dr Evans, disputed the figure that had been reported in national media (650 contracts ceased in England and Wales)

 

Written Questions:

There were 36 written questions relating to Pharmacy answered in the House of Commons and House of Lords during January. These can all be viewed on Hansard here.

Key questions include:

  • Sir Julian Smith (Conservative) on community based diagnostic capacity (106984)

  • Melanie Onn (Labour) on medicines shortages (107056)

  • Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat), Jim McMahon (Labour) and Paulette Hamilton (Labour) on impact of Autmn budget on community pharmacies (103019, 95130, 100592)

  • Zoe Franklin and Will Foster (Liberal Democrat) on community pharmacy reimbursement rates (106808, 107288)

  • Will Foster (Liberal Democrat) on reforming the community pharmacy contract (107287)

  • Rachel Maskell (Labour) on stabilising drug pricing for pharmacies (106166)

  • Rachel Maskell (Labour) on plans to expand the pharmacy first model (106155)

  • Lee Anderson (Reform) on medicine wastage in the NHS (104366)

  • Sir John Hayes (Conservative) on increasing community pharmacy provision in rural areas (98742)

  • Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat) on pharmacy first consultation (94764)

  • Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat) on supporting the findings of the economic analysis showing the underfunding of community pharmacy (HL13562)