Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to NHS England's announcement on 6 December 2016 of an additional £200 million to improve local cancer services, what plans he has to ensure that that money will be used to roll out the Recovery Package and stratified pathways of follow-up care as costed in the Independent Cancer Taskforce report.

The £200 million fund NHS England announced in December 2016 will be available to Cancer Alliances over the next two years to specifically support the areas the Cancer Taskforce strategy estimated would need additional investment including implementing the Recovery Package and rolling out stratified follow up pathways.

Initial bids for funding are due on 18 January 2017. Clear guidance has been published and a regional and national panel will assess all bids received. The funding will be signed off by the NHS England Investment Committee.