Primary Care Trusts

HC Deb 09 March 1999 vol 327 cc140-1W

Mrs. Laing

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the cost(a) in total and (b) by health board area for the introduction of primary care trusts and local health care co-operatives. [74516]

Mr. Galbraith

The introduction of Primary Care Trusts is part of the overall reconfiguration of NHS Trusts in Scotland that is expected to yield net savings of £6 million per annum. With mergers taking place in all 12 mainland Health Board areas, the saving per Board area will be £500,000 on average.

In 1998–99, just under £1 million was made available to mainland Health Boards to support the development of Local Healthcare Co-operatives.

Individual Health Board allocations are detailed in the table.

Health board	Support for LHCCs 1998–99
Argyll and Clyde	100,000
Ayrshire and Arran	80,000
Borders	30,000
Dumfries and Galloway	70,000
Fife	70,000
Forth Valley	95,000
Grampian	90,000
Greater Glasgow	120,000
Highland	80,000
Lanarkshire	80,000
Lothian	101,500
Tayside	80,000
Total	996,500

From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament. Scottish