Section 4 — NHS England mandate: general

(1) The National Health Service Act 2006 is amended as follows.

(2) In section 13A (mandate)—

(a) in subsection (1), omit “Before the start of each financial year,”;

(b) in subsection (2), in paragraph (a), omit from “during that financial year” to the end of that paragraph (but not the final “and”);

(c) omit subsections (3) and (4);

(d) in subsection (5), omit “in relation to the first financial year to which the mandate relates”;

(e) after subsection (6) insert— (6A) The Secretary of State may revise the mandate. (6B) If the Secretary of State revises the mandate, the Secretary of State must publish and lay before Parliament the mandate as revised.

(3) In section 13B (the mandate: supplementary provision)—

(a) for the heading substitute “Review of NHS England’s performance in implementing the mandate”;

(b) omit subsections (2) to (5).

(4) In section 13T (business plan)—

(a) in subsection (3), omit “for the first financial year to which the plan relates”;

(b) after subsection (3) insert— (3A) The fact that the mandate is revised during the period to which a business plan relates does not require NHS England to revise the plan.

(5) In section 13U (annual report), in subsection (2), for paragraph (a) substitute— (a) the extent to which, in that year, it met any objectives or requirements specified in the mandate, .