§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what appraisal he has made of the impact of the removal of the requirement for prior authorisation of extra-contractual referrals on the net and gross expenditure profiles of Welsh health authorities; what representations he has had from those authorities concerning the impact of the change; and if he will make a statement. [5911]
§ Mr. HagueDiscussions are under way with representatives of NHS Wales about potential changes to the ECR administration process. These discussions include the issue of the removal of the requirement for prior authorisation. The impact on expenditure profiles will be dependent on the conclusions of these discussions.