Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to require NHS England to conduct its annual specialised commissioning prioritisation process in line with guidance issued in January 2016 by the Cabinet Office on consultation principles.

NHS England takes Cabinet Office guidance on consultation principles into account when making commissioning decisions.

In relation to the annual specialised commissioning prioritisation round, both the methodology that is being followed, and each individual policy proposition being considered, has been subject to extensive engagement and public consultation. A copy of NHS England’s response to this consultation can be found here:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2016/06/prioritisation-method-cons-response.pdf