§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if, pursuant to the answer of 18 December 1987,Official Report, columns 936–37, he will indicate whether the routine monitoring of regional health authorities spending has now been fully introduced; and to what extent it and the National Health Service Management Board have revealed a continuing deficit for health authorities on revenue account for the current financial year.
§ Mr. NewtonThe first routine monitoring of regional health authority spending on an income and expenditure basis will cover the period from 1 April to 30 June 1988. As I announced in the House on 16 December the review carried out by the National Health Service management board in the autumn led to an additional £75 million being made available to English health authorities in response to the problem identified in the current financial year.