§ Mr. BurgonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial arrangements are being made in respect of the eight NHS trusts dissolved on 1 April 1997. [31502]
§ Mr. MilburnPursuant to the dissolution of eight National Health Service trusts on 1 April 1997, and their reconfiguration through the establishment of four new trusts on that date, we propose to create originating debt for the new trusts equal to the net assets transferred to them and therefore to remit the outstanding debt of the dissolved trusts.
These operations involve no overall loss to the Exchequer. Her Majesty's treasury has today presented a minute to the House giving the particulars and circumstances of the proposed remission which it has approved in principle.