Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer on 11 September to Question number 169109 on Social Care: Drugs, (a) when the 2019-20 planning process was completed and (b) what the level of funding is for the 2019-20 prioritisation process.

The independently chaired Clinical Priorities Advisory Group met in November 2018 to make prioritisation recommendations for investments in specialised service for the 2019/20 financial year. Final investment decisions will be announced shortly. A second prioritisation round for investment in 2019/20 will be held next year.

The baseline budget for prioritisation in 2019/20 has been set at £25.7 million reflecting a 2.7% increase on the 2018/19 budget. The availability of any additional funding to support prioritisation will be kept under review between now and May/June 2019 when the second round of investment decisions will be taken for the 2019/20 financial year.