§ 20. Mr. Ridleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is aware that the Royal Free Hospital was allocated £500,000 to spend in tranches not exceeding £1,000; and what improvement in the system of control of hospital finances she proposes.
§ Mrs. CastleThere was no stipulation that all expenditure should be in tranches not exceeding £1,000. The present rules, which we are currently hoping to revise, allow expenditure of revenue money on single items of equipment which otherwise would be chargeable to capital up to a limit of £1,000. We have been able to introduce this year flexibility to the limited extent of ½ per cent. of moneys allocated to revenue to be spent on capital and up to 5 per cent. of capital to be spent on revenue. Ideally I would like even greater flexibility.