§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many family practitioners have reduced their budgets for purchasing hospital treatment(a) nationally and (b) in the Coventry area; what effects she expects the reduced budgets to have on patient care and on the jobs of medical staff, with particular reference to the Coventry area and on the west midlands; and what reasons she has been given for the reductions.
§ Dr. MawhinneyRegional health authorities are responsible for setting general practitioner fundholder budgets, under guidance issued by the national health service management executive EL(93)93, copies of which are available in the Library. These budgets are set at the beginning of the financial year and cannot be reduced mid-year.