§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 19 October,Official Report, column 71, if she will make it her policy to collect from each regional health authority the number of extra-contractual referrals returned in each financial year.
§ Mr. SackvilleExtra-contractual referrals account for approximately 1.2 per cent. of expenditure in England. The vast majority of referrals being made within contracts. The management of the extra-contractual referral process is the responsibility of district health authorities as agreed with regional health authorities. It would not, therefore, by appropriate managerially or administratively to collect this information centrally.