Scott Alastair: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeScott Alastair: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 09 June 2016. Volume:714;Page:11860. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]8.ALASTAIR SCOTT (National—Wairarapa) to the Minister of Health: Can he confirm that Budget 2016 invests an extra $124 million over four years to provide more New Zealanders with access to new medicines?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health) Yes. I am pleased to announce that today Pharmac has named the six new treatments they will be funding as a direct result of that investment. Since the pre-Budget announcement Pharmac has been consulting on the new medicines that it might fund and the decisions that it announced today show that New Zealanders continue to gain access to new and innovative medicines. This first package of new treatments will benefit over 40000 New Zealanders. These funding decisions show that Pharmac is continuing to provide New Zealanders with early access to new and innovative medicineswhich they deserve.Alastair Scott: What new treatments is Pharmac able to provide with this increased funding?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: The extra funding in Budget 2016 means that Opdivo a drug for advanced melanoma is now fully subsidised. Other drugs announced today include treatments for brain tumours patches for menopausal women and a treatment for renal disease in children. Pharmac is also funding two new hepatitis C treatments that are a major advance in treatment with cure rates of more than 90 percent and that is potentially going to benefit 50000 New Zealanders. This is hugely beneficial for a wide range of people and shows that the investment has been very worthwhile.Jan Logie: Can he confirm that Budget 2016 did not include any money for equal pay for women like Kristine Bartlett and the 50000 other care and support workers waiting for payment?Mr SPEAKER: If the Minister is prepared to answer it I will let it go but it is so far from the original question that it is strictly out of order.Jan Logie: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The primary question was very specifically about health funding in the 2016—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member may not have heard me. I said it was too far away; it is out of order. I do not appreciate the member then arguing with me in this House.Alastair Scott: How has Pharmac’s budget increased since 2008?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Overall the Government has increased Pharmac’s budget by $200 million since 2008 bringing it to a record $850 million and of course widening access to medicines is a key priority for this Government. The $39 million for Pharmac in this year’s Budget is part of an extra $568 million that the Government has invested in health in 2016-17 the biggest increase in 7 years and almost $170 million more than last year.Hon Annette King: Will the Government’s direct contribution of $39 million to the Pharmac budget which reduces to $29 million in the next two Budgets require the district health boards (DHBs) to pick up the $42 million shortfall if the budget is to stay the same over the next 3 years?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: We are quite clear: there is $124 million of new money put in there for Pharmac over the next 4 years.Hon Annette King: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I know you were listening carefully. My supplementary question was very specific about whether Pharmac’s budget would have to be supplemented by the DHBs over those 3 years and I set out the figures. Would you like me to repeat it Mr Speaker?Mr SPEAKER: I think the member needs to be very aware of Speaker’s ruling 187/4 when effectively I suspect the member is demanding a yes or no answer which she is not entitled to do. It is Thursday I am in a very good mood and I will allow the question to be repeated.Hon Annette King: Will the Government’s direct contribution of $39 million to the Pharmac budget which reduces to $29 million in the next two Budgets require DHBs to pick up the $42 million shortfall if the budget is to stay the same for the next 3 years?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: The member knows that DHBs have always made some contribution but the key thing is that there is $124 million on top of the $400 million for DHBs this year—in fact $1.6 billion for DHBs over the next 4 years—so there is a lot of money going in there. And of course that is providing more access to more services for more New Zealanders all the time—very dissimilar to when you were in charge.Mr SPEAKER: Well not me.Hon Annette King: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am sure that if you were in charge Mr Speaker it would be much better.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Can I just have the point of order.Hon Annette King: The point of order is that he should not bring you into the debate.Mr SPEAKER: I think on that occasion that is something that the Speaker will determine not the Hon Annette King.