Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of changes to community pharmacy funding on the delivery of pharmaceutical services in Greater Manchester; and whether it is his intention to devolve (a) responsibility for and (b) funding of pharmacies to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority or its component local authorities.

We have made no such assessment.

The Government welcomes the progress that has already been made by Greater Manchester partners as they implement their ground-breaking devolution deal. The Department and other national partners continue to work with and support Greater Manchester as it realises its ambitious plans for transforming its health and social care system.

Discussions with Greater Manchester are ongoing. However there are currently no plans to devolve responsibility and funding for community pharmacies, under the Cities and Local Devolution Act 2016, to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.