Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information he holds on the reasons why demolitions have recently been carried out at the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust is working closely with Laing O’Rourke and external advisers in undertaking a fully-costed assessment of all the works needed to complete the new Royal Liverpool Hospital. This includes significant works required to fix the structural issues and defective works that have been identified following the termination of the private finance initiative contract in 2018. This assessment will be set out in a business case, which the Trust intends to submit to NHS Improvement and the Department for approval soon. In the meantime, preparation work is already underway by Laing O’Rourke.