§ Q1. Mr. PearsonTo ask the Prime Minister when he plans next to visit Dudley. [1406]
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Tony Blair)I have no immediate plans to visit Dudley, but I did so on the occasion of my hon. Friend's magnificent by-election victory. I am delighted that he held the seat at the general election. He will know that I am due to visit the west midlands on Friday.
§ Mr. PearsonWill my right hon. Friend spare some time to visit Wordsley hospital's recently built maternity unit—where both my daughters were born—which is scheduled to be bulldozed as part of the local NHS trust's proposed capital investment plan? Will he talk to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health about urgently reviewing the plan so that we can have a successful private finance initiative project that meets the wishes and needs of local people in Dudley and build an NHS of which we can all feel proud once again?
§ The Prime MinisterIf I may, I shall just point out to Opposition Members that they promised but never delivered a single project. A little humility on their part might be a good idea. In relation to the PFI, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has announced a review, which will enable us to get the work done quicker and better than under the previous Administration. My hon. Friend will know of the two problems left by the resounding incompetence of the previous Administration: first, no PFI contract was delivered; and, secondly, vast sums of money were spent on bureaucracy in the NHS, rather than on patient care. I am pleased to say that both will be dealt with, and a review of the Dudley service will be a part of my right hon. Friend's review.