To ask the Minister of Health to outline the consultation arrangements for the report of Task and Finish Group, established to reform the Individual Funding Requests process, and on which date consultation is due to commence.

Following public consultation on the findings of an evaluation into the Individual Funding Request (IFR) process, a clinically led Task and Finish Group was established to take forward work to revise the IFR process under formal project management structures and arrangements.

The Task and Finish Group Project Board met for the first time at 3pm on 23 March 2016 and further meetings have been held on 27 April (3pm), 18 May (3pm), 24 June (10am) and 7 October 2016 (3.30pm).

The Project Board tasked a sub-group to develop new policy, including governance and procedures. Given the nature of the task and the clinical commitments of the members, much of the work is carried out virtually. However, the sub-group has physically met on three occasions with a number of internal meetings having also taken place. The work is well advanced, which the sub-group reported to the Project Board at the last meeting.

I expect my officials to report to me in the autumn and I will publish the new IFR policy as soon as possible after this.