Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of the increase in the rate of employer National Insurance Contributions on the New Hospitals Programme.

The Autumn Budget Statement announced by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 30 October set out that we would continue to deliver the New Hospital Programme by placing it on a more sustainable and deliverable footing.

We expect that the potential impact of Employer National Insurance Contributions to individual schemes in the New Hospital Programme will be covered through the individual Full Business Cases submitted by the trusts, where the final costs will be reviewed through the business case process.