Wes Streeting – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Wes Streeting on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much (a) NHS England, (b) Public Health England, (c) Monitor and (d) the Care Quality Commission has spent on overseas visits since 2012-13; and what the date, destination and purpose was of each such visit.

Jane Ellison

Using information from central travel systems the Arm’s Length Bodies have advised their costs for the years specified. Costs for 2015-2016 will be available after the end of the financial year.

(a) NHS England

Since 2012-13 NHS England has spent £167,492.78 on overseas travel. See attached spreadsheet for a breakdown of the costs including date, destination and purpose of visit. A summary table of annual costs is included here.

Cost of overseas travel 2012/13 – 2015/16 – NHS England

(b)Public Health England

Since 2012-13 Public Health England has spent £2,991,553.00 20 on overseas travel. See attached table for a breakdown of destination and type of cost. Detail of individual trips can only be supplied at disproportionate cost. PHE is the lead for the UK on International Health Regulations, which extends to playing its part in protecting the UK from international health hazards, most obviously from communicable diseases. PHE’s expert scientific and medical staff are routinely deployed across the world, for example: to respond to public health incidents of international concern, such as with the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). A summary table of annual costs is included here.

Cost of overseas travel 2012/13 – 2015/16 – Public Health England

(c) Monitor

Since 2012-13 Monitor has spent £9,552.96 on overseas travel. See attached table for a breakdown of the costs including the date, destination and purpose of visit. A summary table of annual costs is included here.

Cost of overseas travel 2012/13 – 2015/16 – Monitor°

°Figures include central travel bookings, expenses and credit cards

(d) Care Quality Commission

Since 2012-13 CQC has spent £16,548.32 on overseas travel. CQC have advised that they do not collect the level of data asked for and to collate it would incur disproportionate cost. They have provided a table of year on year costs of overseas travel.

Cost of overseas travel 2012/13 – 2015/16 – Care Quality Commission°

°Figures include flights and travel expenses