Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2017 to Question 4557, how many projects, for which investment has been approved in principle under the NHS Estates Technology and Transformation Fund require a revision of the Premises Costs Directions to be agreed by his Department before they can receive final approval.

Changes to premises costs directions are currently being negotiated between the Department, NHS England and the General Practitioners’ Committee of the British Medical Association. It is anticipated that the new directions will be agreed shortly.

No fully approved schemes are being held up or are at risk of delivery by the delay in finalising the premises cost direction changes. However, there are a large number of improvements to existing premises and new builds which are dependent on the revisions we have been negotiating (up to 627 schemes).