Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department’s official representative on the Honours health committee had discussions with the Honours economy committee on the OBE appointment of Vijay Patel in advance of the New Year’s Honours list 2019.

The honours system is independent. Recommendations are made by one of ten independent expert committees, with independent chairs and a majority of independent members, who assess the merits of all nominations. We are unable to comment on discussions held by committees on any nomination.