Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have established the cross-agency expert group on viral hepatitis to provide strategic direction and advice around hepatitis C and other viral hepatitis, as announced in March.

With the support of the Department and the Chief Medical Officer, Public Health England (PHE) has established a national cross-agency expert group, the National Strategic Group on Viral Hepatitis, to provide strategic direction and advice around all types of viral hepatitis, including hepatitis C. It will provide advice to PHE, the Department, NHS England and to the wider health system. The new group is committed to working towards the World Health Organization goal to eliminate viral hepatitis as a major public health threat and brings together partner organisations to improve health services, minimise the number of new infections and reduce the health consequences of viral hepatitis for people in England. A priority is addressing the cross-system operational barriers in case finding and treatment capacity.