Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, when Clinical Commissioning Groups outsource some of their commissioning role, the element of administration that would have counted towards the fixed cap on administrative costs will be separately identified and appropriately deducted from Clinical Commissioning Group budgets.

Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), as independent statutory bodies, can choose how best to carry out their commissioning functions from within their running cost budget.

Where CCGs choose to outsource their support and to buy from external providers, this funding will be charged against their fixed running cost allowance.

Service integrators and lead providers co-ordinate and provide care for patients; they are not commissioners, nor do they undertake commissioning activities or responsibilities.