Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2015 to Question 3515, what assessment he has made of the affordability to the NHS of providing screening tests for (a) sickle cell disease, (b) cystic fibrosis, (c) congenital hypothyroidism, (d) phenylketonuria, (e) medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, (f) maple syrup urine disease, (g) isovaleric acidaemia, (h) glutaric aciduria type 1 and (i) homocystinuria (pyridoxine unresponsive); what suppliers are used by the NHS to provide each such test; and if he will make a statement.

The NHS Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme is directly commissioned by NHS England as part of the Section 7A agreement of the National Health Service Act (2006), as amended by the Health and Social Care Act (2012). It sets out the arrangements under which the Secretary of State for Health delegates to NHS England the responsibility for certain elements of Public Health functions. The affordability of the NHS Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme is discussed with NHS England as part of the Section 7A agreement.

Information on suppliers used by the NHS is not held centrally.