Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the job title is of the (a) official and (b) Minister in his Department with responsibility for approving grants made under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968; against what criteria such grants are awarded; and what the process is for considering applications for such grants.

Officials within the Health Spending team have responsibility for providing HM Treasury approval for grants made under the powers of Section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has overall responsibility for the decisions made by the Health Spending team.

HMT officials review an assessment of the proposal against HM Treasury standard business case criteria which includes a Strategic Case, Economic Case, Financial Case, Commercial Case and Project Governance.

In October 2014 HMT agreed to a deemed consent arrangement for grants under £1,000,000 whereby the Director of Group Finance at the Department of Health has consent to approve grants up to this value unless they are novel, contentious or repercussive. The Department of Health agreed to provide details of grants approved under this arrangement on a regular basis.

Under this authority Treasury approval can be deemed in respect of grants or loans to Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations where the Department of Health is able to confirm that:

• The grant or loan is affordable with DH’s settlement;

• The grant or loan represents best value for money;

• The grant team has reviewed the case under the normal section 64 business case criteria.