§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the discussions between his Department and regional health authority treasurers to provide a contingency fund to help area health authorities against which high awards for damages are being successfully claimed and whose general services might suffer as a consequence of such repeated liabilities.
§ Dr. VaughanThe committee of regional treasurers has not asked to discuss this subject with the Department. It was, however, raised at one of the regular meetings between the Department's officers and the association of health service284W treasurers. The conclusion reached was that regional health authority cash limits are adequate to meet contingencies of this nature, and that a national contingency fund for this or other purposes was not required. It is for individual regions to decide whether or not they will maintain a reserve themselves from within their revenue cash limits.