§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether the new family practitioner committees will be funded entirely from new money, or whether the costs will be paid for from the National Health Service budget;
(2) what are the estimated costs of converting family practitioner committees into employing authorities.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe administrative costs of family practitioner committees are at present met by health authorities. Our intention is to transfer these moneys to the new FPCs. In announcing the Government's decision on FPCs to the House last November—[Vol. 13, C.111–112.]—my hon Friend the former Minister for Health emphasised that the change did not affect the Government's intentions to reduce the proportion of total NHS resources spent on management by 10 per cent. by the end of the financial year 1984–85. FPCs would be expected to contribute to this reduction so that be costs of the new arrangements will be less than the present ones.