§ 41. Lieut.-Colonel Bromley-Davenportasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the tendency of many hospital administrations to increase their expenditure on non-essential items towards the end of the financial year; and whether, with a view to encouraging more prudent administration of hospital finance, he will revise the current system.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithHospital authorities are required to contain their expenditure within limited annual allocations. In these circumstances, it is clearly prudent for them to decide on priorities and to defer expenditure on less urgent—but nevertheless valuable and necessary—items until towards the end of the year, when it becomes clear that the money will be available. I am not at present contemplating any change in the system.