Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will ask NHS England to establish a Clinical Reference Group for Robotic Assisted Surgery to consider the use of technology across the full range of specialties where the Da Vinci system can be used; and if he will make a statement.

NHS England, through its Specialised Commissioning structures, which include Clinical Reference Groups (CRGs), is currently developing a commissioning policy for Robotic Assisted Surgery (RAS). As part of the policy development process CRGs were invited to submit potential applications for RAS. These have informed the evidence review and will underpin the development of the commissioning policy.