Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to ensure NHS England achieves the objectives set out in the Mandate for 2018-19.

NHS England is legally required, under the NHS Act 2006, to seek to achieve the objectives set out in the Mandate to NHS England for 2018-19. Progress will be monitored throughout the year, including through the Secretary of State’s quarterly accountability meetings with NHS England. The Secretary of State will also lay in Parliament and publish an annual assessment of NHS England’s performance. This will set out the extent to which NHS England has met mandate objectives.

In seeking to achieve mandate objectives, NHS England will need to comply with its responsibilities and delegated authorities as set out in the ‘Framework Agreement’ and ‘Managing Public Money’. This is unaffected by the Government’s decision to not lay regulations which have previously underpinned NHS England’s compliance with these documents. As an arm’s-length body of the Government, NHS England is required to comply with ‘Managing Public Money’ and it is a signatory to the ‘Framework Agreement’.

The Secretary of State has a range of intervention powers in relation to NHS England. The Department and NHS England work closely together to ensure the use of these powers is not required.