Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the abolition of NHS England, whether they will continue to provide a budget for specialised commissioning to enact the advice of the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group; and if not, whether there is an alternative route for NHS England to approve proven, cheap treatments.

The Department recognises the important role that NHS England’s clinical policy development process plays in determining routine commissioning decisions on new specialised services, treatments, and interventions, which have not been reviewed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

We are carefully assessing NHS England’s functions as part of the process of merging NHS England with the Department. The outcome of these ongoing assessments will be made at the earliest opportunity, and we remain committed to progressing this reform at pace, subject to legislation and the will of Parliament.

Until such a time that the organisations are formally merged, NHS England continues to full fill its statutory duties.