§ Mr. Worthingtonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he first heard of Health Care International's proposals for a private hospital in Clydebank; what advice his Department gave to locate in Scotland; and what advice the Scottish Department Agency gave about the development of this project.
§ Mr. Lang[holding answer 26 October 1987]: My right hon. and learned Friend first heard of Health Care International's formal proposal to build a private hospital at Clydebank in June 1987 when the company applied to proceed with construction. Under the terms of the Health Services Acts, consideration of such an application depends entirely upon the impact of the proposed development on the National Health Service, on which the Scottish Development Agency was not consulted and offered no advice. Partly in response to the hon. Member's own request for a further note on the impact of the project, the agency did, however, commission an independent study from Coopers and Lybrand on the economic and staffing implications of the project. The agency subsequently sent this to the Scottish Home and Health Department and also, I understand, to the hon. Member.