Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the new NHS funding settlement will be spent to takcle health inequalities between the north and south of England.

NHS England sets clinical commissioning group funding allocations.

NHS England has committed to ensuring a higher share of funding goes towards geographies with high health inequalities. This funding is estimated to be worth over £1 billion by 2023/24.

The NHS Long Term Plan sets out a number of commitments for reducing health inequalities and NHS England will continue to target a higher share of funding towards geographies with high health inequalities.

The National Implementation Framework, to be published in the spring, will provide further information on how the Long Term Plan will be implemented. Additional details, based on local health system five-year plans, will be brought together in a detailed national implementation plan in the autumn. Work will continue with key partners and stakeholders as we support the National Health Service to deliver the commitments set out in the Long Term Plan.