§ 15. Mr. Boydenasked the Minister of Health why the costs of salaries of some full-time architects and engineers employed by regional hospital boards will in future be charged to capital funds.
§ Mr. BraineTheir work is wholly or mainly on capital schemes.
§ Mr. BoydenIs this not a subtle way of decreasing the amount of money available for capital building? Is the hon. Gentleman proposing to extend this idea to administrative staff and clerks as a logical result?
§ Mr. BraineNo, the hon. Gentleman is completely misinformed. Appropriate adjustments will be made to the boards' capital and revenue allocations for next year. The change does not mean that the amount of money available for hospital planning and building will be reduced. The total amount which it is proposed to provide for hospital expenditure in 1963–64 is not affected. As regards current expenditure, all other elements of true revenue expenditure will continue to expand as planned.