Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of splitting charging category A patients ordinarily resident in the UK and (a) asylum seeker and (b) failed asylum seeker under section 95 of the Immigration Act 1999 into two new categories.

The Department does not currently have any plans to reassess or revise charging categories. Introducing additional charging categories would likely be disproportionate and not aid in improving cost recovery.

While the Department holds information on the income identified from chargeable overseas visitors, it does not hold or collect information relating to specific categories of patient, including Category F patients.

The Department also does not hold or collect information on the nationalities that have the highest unpaid invoices.