§ Lord Alderdiceasked Her Majesty's Government:
How the £31 million of new health service funding announced by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in July 1997 is to be allocated.
§ Lord DubsAs announced earlier today by my right honourable friend Mr. Tony Worthington, the Minister with responsibility for this matter, in the Northern Ireland Grand Committee, £33 million will be directed primarily at front line services. In addition to alleviating the necessary pay and inflation increases and providing £7.4 million capitation assistance to allow the northern and southern health and social services boards to maintain their current funding, the additional £31 million will allow for key service developments44WA through the provision of £5 million for community care, £4 million for child care, £2 million for cancer services and £2 million for essential health and safety work. In addition to those key service developments, some of the additional funding will be used to develop primary care led services, to increase support for voluntary organisations, to meet the cost of improved food safety standards in the wake of the E-coli outbreak in Scotland, to maintain the quality assurance of cervical screening and to improve medical training both in hospital and general practice.