§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his oral statement in the respect of future expansion of the Whittington Hospital of 3 February 1998,Official Report, column 844, when he expects funding to be available. [34311]
§ Mr. MilburnThe National Health Service Executive has asked the Whittington Hospital NHS Trust to bring forward proposals to improve the building fabric of the hospital. This needs to be handled through the capital planning process under which issues of funding will be addressed. The first stage of this process is the production of a strategic context document which summarises the trust's plans for developing its services and puts this in the context of the health authorities' plans for the local provision of health care. Following this, the trust can start to develop its business case for the redevelopment of the site leading, in due course, to the creation of a suitable environment for the delivery of modern health care in this part of north London. We acknowledge the Turnberg Report's emphasis on the need for swift action, but it will take some time to work through the necessary planning process.