Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on the forthcoming consultation on guidelines for treating depression in adults.

Ministers and officials have regular discussions with the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on forthcoming pieces of guidance. NICE is an independent body and develops its guidance on the basis of an assessment of the available evidence through consultation with stakeholders, including the Department.