§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what administrative cost savings will be made as a result of merging the North East Essex district health authorities with Mid-Essex.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe proposals by North East Thames regional health authority to merge the three existing health authorities of North East Essex, Mid Essex and West Essex to create a new North Essex health authority have recently been the subject of public consultation. I understand that the regional health authority will be submitting its formal recommendations to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State shortly. It would not be appropriate for me to speculate on the level of administrative cost savings, but the effective use of resources is one of the criteria used in assessing the benefits of mergers.