Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to release an initial tranche of funding out of the NHS capital budget to allow foundation works to be commenced in the Future Fit programme to improve hospital services in Shropshire.

The scheme has an allocation of £312 million, which includes any early funding. A sum of £6 million has already been approved in principle in November 2020 and a request for £370,000 of this amount is being currently reviewed. NHS England and NHS Improvement are continuing to work with the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust to ensure they maximise the impact of funding available. Any subsequent early funding requests will be subject to the usual approval processes.