Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with (a) NICE and (b) NHS England and NHS Improvement on setting levels of ambition in the NICE Methods Review.

The Department regularly discuss a range of issues with colleagues in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England and NHS Improvement, including NICE’s methods review. However, NICE is an independent body and is responsible for its own methods and processes. NICE expects to consult on the draft programme manual in the summer, with implementation of the changes from early 2022.