§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether the first stage of the Killen district hospital at Worksop will be able to open by the summer of 1983;
(2) what percentage growth in funds he expects to allocate to the Bassetlaw health authority for the year 1984–85; and whether this will include the extra £1.5 million necessary to operate the first phase of the new district hospital;
(3) if he will ensure that uncertainty about the future financing of the new Worksop district hospital does not lead to a misuse of existing resources through short notice of political changes in financial policy.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State allocates resources to regional health authorities and it is for the Trent RHA to allocate resources to Bassetlaw health authority. I am aware that the RHA. has regard to the finance needed to open new hospital developments in making allocations to districts. The resources provisionally available to the NHS as a whole in 1983–84 and 1984–85 were published in the public expenditure White Paper. We shall in the near future give resource guidance to individual RHAs.
At that point it will be for the Trent RHA and the DHAs to review their development programmes in the light of priorities. It is not possible to say at present what effects this might have on plans for opening new facilities.