§ 42. Mr. Awberyasked the Minister of Health his reasons for reducing the estimated maintenance costs of the South-West Regional Hospital Board by £250,000 for 1953–54.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodThe amount allocated to this board represented what was considered to be a fair share of the total amount available for the hospital service for 1953–54.
§ Mr. AwberyCould the Minister tell us what procedure is adopted when asking the regional boards to give their estimates for the coming year? Does he ask for the actual amount that is necessary for the work, or does he ask for the actual amount plus x, so that when the estimate comes to his Department the x can be cut off?
§ Mr. MacleodI ask them for an estimate of what they think they need. Of course it invariably happens from year to year that the amount is not the total of the regional boards' estimates. We then have to reduce as fairly as we possibly can, but the amount about which the hon. Member inquires is £404,000 more than the amount allocated last year.
§ Mr. AwberyIs not the amount asked for by this board the actual amount they require for the carrying out of their services for the coming year?
§ Mr. MacleodNo, Sir. That does not necessarily follow.