§ Mrs. BrowningTo ask the Secretary of State for Health by what amount each of the health authorities in Devon and Cornwall was overspent at the point at which they ceased to be operational. [69185]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 11 July 2002]The previous health authorities in Devon and Cornwall ceased to exist on the 31 March 2002. In their statutory annual accounts for their last year of operation covering the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 they reported the following:
Health Authority North and East Devon £144,000 Underspend South and West Devon £168,000 Underspend Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Breakeven The accounts of these organisations have now been audited by their external auditor and signed off as representing a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the health authorities as at the 31 March 2002.
However, in respect of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly a disclosure note was incorporated into the annual accounts, which identified that the Cornwall Health Community had an underlying deficit and that the health authority achieved financial balance through the receipt of non-recurrent brokerage of £6.3 million.