HC Deb 17 August 1991 vol 195 cc351-2
16. Mr. Doran

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the annual budget and total number of staff of the Aberdeen Royal infirmary.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Aberdeen Royal infirmary costs about £68 million a year to run and employs 2,346 staff.

Mr. Doran

The Minister will be aware that the consultation period is under way. There is great apprehension because the consultation period is taking place during the local holidays and while Parliament is in recess. There are already signs of fundamental changes in the application that has been submitted to the Scottish Office on the privatisation of the hyperbaric centre. Will the Minister consider an extension of the period of consultation to allow us to gather the facts on that change of plan? Failing that, will he give me an assurance today that factual questions will be answered by his Department and by the applicants?

Mr. Forsyth

The hon. Gentleman is wrong to associate the decision in respect of the hyperbaric centre with the application for NHS trust status from Foresterhill. The decision on the hyperbaric centre was taken by the health board because it believed that it would result in more research and a better quality of care being available to divers in the North sea and to others.

The consultation period has been set out clearly and the criteria by which the application will be judged are set out clearly. I am sure that Grampian health board will be happy to respond to requests for information from the hon. Gentleman. I have noticed that the hon. Gentleman's invitations to attend Labour party meetings have been circulating in the internal mail of the health board—a matter which I very much deprecate.