Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice or research his Department has commissioned from external bodies on the potential effects on the NHS of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

While the Department has not commissioned research, we continue to work with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, key partners and other stakeholders to ensure our publicly stated position is respected.

We are aware of concerns about the European Union–United States Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) currently being negotiated which are misplaced and inaccurate.

What we can be absolutely clear on is that this Government will not allow TTIP

negotiations to harm the National Health Service, and any assertion that the agreement will undermine the NHS is both irresponsible and false. Our position is supported by statements from both the European and US negotiators.