§ Mr. HigginsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health in what way and at what level plans and decisions on building or expanding National Health Service hospitals will be taken within the new framework for the National Health Service set out in "Working for Patients".
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeRegions will continue to be responsible for the strategic oversight of health authorities' capital planning and capital programmes, but there is to be increased delegation of decisions on individual schemes both from Department to region and from region to district. There may also be additional delegation to local level of responsibility for the management of individual schemes. NHS hospital trusts will be responsible for their own capital investment decisions and for managing their own schemes, providing their borrowing is contained within the overall national annual financing limit.