As I understand it the vast majority of funding for the MHRA comes from the fees which the organisation charges for licensing medicines in the UK, carrying out GMP inspections etc.

See: https://www.gov.uk/government/public...lications-fees

I suppose there is always the argument that as it is the pharmaceutical industry that pays the fees, then there can be the suspicion that this is open to corruption. From my own direct experience as a pharmacist working in regulatory affairs all I can say is that I have always found the medicines regulators (both in the MHRA and the EMEA) to be scrupulously honest in their work.

What is the alternative? Would you or I as tax payers expect to pay the fees on behalf of the pharmaceutical companies? Somehow I think not.