§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many times in the last 10 years, and on which dates, his departmental accounting officer has issued a minute in that role; and what was the issue in each case. [22564]
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 9 May 1995]: Where a Minister overrules an accounting officer's advice on an issue of propriety or regularity or one of value for money, the accounting officer should request a written instruction from the Minister to take the action in question.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (Mr. Rowlands) on 2 March 1994, Official Report, column 783, when I advised that no such occasion had been identified. No direction has been issued since that date.
Any such instruction would be reported to the Comptroller and Auditor General who, after making whatever investigations he considers appropriate, would report his findings to the Committee of Public Accounts.
224W
NHSiS administrative and clerical staff1 2 3 4 7 by health board as at 30 September Whole time equivalent 1988 1989 1990 1991 19926 19936 19946 Argyll and Clyde 1,132 1,191 1,225 1,231 1,370 1,400 1,472 Ayrshire and Arran 754 778 810 847 913 957 1,019 Borders 224 219 231 237 257 272 335 Dumfries and Galloway 339 348 367 412 442 463 496 Fife 654 676 722 769 800 920 1,022 Forth Valley 564 594 632 666 716 758 775
§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton[holding answer 15 May 1995]: The information requested is shown in the table.
Hospital bed numbers are not projected on a national basis and the availability of beds in any specialty is primarily a matter for health boards and the appropriate health care providers to agree.