Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons his Department sought the deemed consent arrangements for grants from HM Treasury under Section 64 of the Health and Public Act 1968; and what the job titles are of the officials in his Department that were involved in those discussions.

The Department agreed deemed consent arrangements with HM Treasury to reduce the administrative burden, recognising that newer grant giving legislation did not require similar approvals, and to streamline the grants making process, whilst maintaining the same level of oversight and scrutiny of cases. The decision was made with the agreement of the Director of Group Finance and the Deputy Director – Voluntary Sector Grants.