Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to maintain research and innovation initiatives overseen by NHS England.

Ministers and senior officials in the Department will work with the new executive team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to ensure that layers of bureaucracy are cut and more resources flow to the frontline. We will continue to work with NHS England to ensure there is continuity of funding for National Health Service trusts during this transition period.

The Department remains committed to funding health and care research and will continue to support research and development throughout the transition process and beyond.

As we work to return many of NHS England’s current functions to the Department, we will ensure that we will continue to evaluate impacts of all kinds.