§ 38. Mr. Ronnie CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the PFI in relation to the health service. [442]
§ Mr. MilburnOur manifesto emphasised the crucial part we expect public/private partnerships to play in our spending plans. Our policy is to improve the private finance initiative in the national health service by taking forward the proposals set out in our 12-point plan in our business manifesto and we have already introduced the NHS (Private Finance) Bill which aims to ensure that NHS trusts have the statutory power to enter into PFI contracts. This will provide the private sector with the reassurance it needs to enter into PFI contracts and enable the major whole-hospital PFI schemes which have already signed commercial contracts to proceed to financial close.
§ 39. Mr. ButterfillTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to involve the private sector in the provision of NHS services to the public. [443]
§ Mr. MilburnThe Government's priority is to develop the national health service as a public service meeting the needs of its patients. We view the role of the private sector in the provision of NHS services in that light. We have already introduced a Bill that removes any shadow of doubt regarding NHS trusts' powers to enter into private finance initiative-type contracts.