Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much of the £1.6 billion announced in Autumn Budget 2017 for allocation in 2018-19 has been used to commission services from (a) NHS Trusts and (b) independent healthcare providers.

The information requested is not available.

Clinical commissioning groups can commission any service provider that meets National Health Service standards and costs. These can be NHS hospitals, social enterprises, charities or private sector providers. However, they must be assured of the quality of services they commission, taking into account both National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and the Care Quality Commission's data about service providers. We are clear that patients should be able to access the best possible treatments based on quality of care not the provider.

The £1.6 billion for 2018-19 will increase funding for emergency and urgent care, and elective surgery.