Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to contract reference CF-0777900D0O000000rwimUAA2, published on 27 May 2022, if the online training session provided by Pinsent Masons LLP covered the UK’s international agreements governing the provision and charging of healthcare in the UK to visitors from overseas.

The training session was not provided under the original contract. The Department has not been charged for any training delivered by Pinsent Masons LLP. It is intended that this training will be delivered at a future date and will address the United Kingdom’s powers to fund healthcare abroad, in the context of reciprocal healthcare policy. The training will not include charges to overseas visitors for National Health Service healthcare. As the original contract period has expired, the provision of the training will be the subject of a new contract.

Whether the Law Officers have been asked to provide advice and the contents of any such advice is not disclosed outside Government. This is to protect the Law Officers’ ability as chief legal adviser to the Government to give full and frank legal advice and provides the fullest guarantee that government business will be conducted at all times in light of thorough and candid legal advice.

However, the Department has regular engagement with the Government Legal Department on overseas healthcare and the provision and charging of healthcare in the UK to visitors in the ongoing development of policy.