§ Dr. GibsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of company access to anonymised genetic and lifestyle data from UK Biobank. [62277]
§ Ms BlearsDetails of how companies may gain access to anonymised genetic and lifestyle data held by the UK Biobank have not yet been finalised. A monitoring body, independent of the UK Biobank funders, will be established to protect the interests of Biobank participants and the general public. This monitoring body will be responsible for finalising, and overseeing the implementation of, policies on access to anonymised samples and data by all users, whether in the commercial or academic sectors, taking into account the results of consultations with the public and other stakeholders. An open meeting with industry representatives is being planned for later this year to discuss possible access arrangements. All projects, whether funded from the public or private sector, will need to have ethical approval and will be reviewed by the scientific management committee.