§ Mr. Robert Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what recent discussions his Department had with Grampian area health board before transferring or allocating £300,000 to Glasgow and Edinburgh cardiac surgery units as Grampian area health board's share of funding these units;
(2) what criteria was used by his Department in transferring £300,000 from Grampian area health board to Glasgow and Edinburgh for cardiac surgery; and when this was done;
(3) if the decision to allocate £300,000 as Grampian area health board's contribution to Edinburgh and Glasgow towards the cost of cardiac surgery is irrevocable or if he will receive representations from Grampian area health board.
§ Mr. FairgrieveFollowing the recommendations of the cardiac surgery programme planning group in 1977 the previous Government decided that the development of cardiac surgery should be treated as a national speciality and funded centrally. The working party on revenue resource allocation advised that a national service provided in only one or two centres should be financed outwith the main distribution system; and £5 million has therefore been set aside in 1980–81 to support the development of cardiac surgery in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The amount available for general distribution to health boards under the Scottish health authorities revenue equalisation formula has been reduced accordingly. Had there not been such a reduction, Grampian health board's share would have been about £300,000 greater in the current financial year. Health boards were notified about their current allocations on 31 March. The implications of the decision to develop cardiac surgery as a national speciality have been the subject of consultations over several years with the Grampian health board. There is no prospect that this decision will be reversed.