Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to next amend the GP contract. [156628]

Dr Poulter, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health: From 1 April 2013, responsibility for negotiating amendments to the general medical services contract passed to NHS England. Any regulatory changes required following these negotiations are made by the Department.

Preparations for the 2014-15 contract negotiations are under way and the negotiations are planned to conclude before the end of the calendar year in order to allow amendments, if required, to be made to general medical services contract regulations to come into force from 1 April 2014.

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