§ Mr. K. Robinsonasked the Minister of Health how many applications to the Group Practice Loans Sub-Committee are outstanding or have been rejected because the available funds are fully committed for the current year; what 268W total amount they represent; at what point during each of the last three financial years the sub-committee's funds have become exhausted or fully committed; and, in the case of successful applications, what has been the average lapse of time between first application and approval.
§ Mr. PowellThe available funds are not yet fully committed; in the financial years 1957–58, 1958–59 and 1959–60, funds were fully committed four, five and a half, and six months respectively before the end of the year but the Committee continued to approve applications for loans during those months subject to the proviso that money might not be available until the beginning of the following year; the average lapse of time between the Committee receiving an application and approving it was four and a half months.