Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will ensure that the NHS is not included in a trade deal with the US Administration; and if she will make a statement.

As we leave the European Union, the UK will continue to ensure that public services – including the NHS – are protected in all trade agreements it is party to, whether transitioned from an EU context or as a result of new negotiations.

The Government has been consistently clear about its commitment to the guiding principles of the NHS – that it is universal and free at the point of need. Our position is definitive: the NHS is not, and never will be, for sale to the private sector, whether overseas or domestic. The Government will ensure no trade agreements will ever be able to alter these fundamental facts.