§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is regarding the use of financial savings made in one component trust to offset excessive expenditure in another where the managements of previously autonomous primary care trusts are merged to form a trust cluster. [185980]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 22 July 2004]: There is no national policy regarding the use of financial savings by each component trust where the management arrangements of adjacent primary care trusts (PCTs) are shared. This is a local issue, for consideration by PCTs with support from their respective strategic health authority.
Where the management arrangements for PCTs are shared, PCTs will continue to be considered separate for financial management purposes and consequently underspends generated in one trust cannot be automatically used to offset overspends in another trust.