§ Ms HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when the statutory regulation will be in place requiring former general practitioner fundholding practices to apply accumulated savings to discharge outstanding liabilities; and what have been(a) the number of fundholders and (b) the financial amounts involved prior to the introduction of this statutory regulation over the last five years. [26725]
§ Mr. MaloneThis regulation has been in effect since 1 April 1996. One fundholding practice left the scheme with both undischarged liabilities and savings before that date. In 1995–96 the practice overspent by £148,000. By agreement with the health authority, it returned £45,000 of its £92,000 savings from earlier years, towards the overspend, with the balance being met from contingency funds.