Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Health and Social Care: IT Systems

Thursday 5 March 2026 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government are determined to ensure that the 400 billion-a-year procurement budget supports British businesses.
  • The Cabinet Office has published the digital, data and technology playbook to guide sourcing and contracting digital data and technology projects.
  • The Minister will write to Sonia Kumar regarding steps to ensure new NHS IT systems are secure, ethically governed, protect patient data, and uphold public trust.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Sonia Kumar Lab Dudley
NHS Science & Technology
Context

The question addresses the Department of Health and Social Care's procurement of secure IT systems infrastructure from British businesses.

Question

Whether his Department has issued guidance to the Department of Health and Social Care on the procurement of secure IT systems infrastructure from British businesses.

Answer from Chris Ward

The Government are determined to ensure that our £400 billion-a-year procurement budget supports British businesses. The Cabinet Office has published the digital, data and technology playbook, which provides guidance on how to source and contract digital data and technology projects. It includes guidance for all Departments, including the Department of Health and Social Care.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q2 Sonia Kumar Lab Dudley
NHS Standards & Ethics
Context

Concerns about the security and ethical governance of NHS data entrusted to external firms such as Palantir, and the impact of cyber-attacks on British companies and the NHS.

Question

What steps is my hon. Friend taking to ensure that new NHS IT systems are secure, ethically governed, protect patient data and public trust, and are British where possible?

Answer from Chris Ward

My hon. Friend raises a serious point, which builds on the last question, which the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, who is also the Security Minister, answered, and the question about digital ID. If it is okay with my hon. Friend the Member for Dudley (Sonia Kumar) , I will write to her about the steps that the Department is taking and how we are working across Government on this important matter.

Not addressed: The specific steps being taken to ensure secure, ethically governed NHS IT systems were not detailed.

How: I Will Write To Her

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