§ Mr. Gordon BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the arrangements he proposes with private sector hospitals to carry out National Health Service operations; and what money he has set aside in this and the next financial year.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythI am encouraging health boards in Scotland to consider the extent to which Scotland's private health sector could help them to improve their services for National Health Service patients. I have not set aside money for this purpose in this or the next financial year, but as part of our initiative on waiting lists £300,000 of the additional resources for the current financial year announced by my right hon. and learned Friend on 16 December has been allocated to meet bids from boards to use private sector hospitals to carry out National Health Service operations.
§ Mr. Gordon BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the latest estimate available to him of the cost of the following operations in(a) National Health Service hospitals and (b) private hospitals in Scotland for (i) hysterectomy, (ii) tonsillectomy, (iii) hernia, (iv) hip replacement, (v) heart by-pass and (vi) varicose veins.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythComparative information on this basis is not available. Information on health service costs 329W is not generally held in a form which permits total costs of individual procedures to he identified; progress is, however, being made in improving cost information for resource management.