§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Prime Minister what will be the effects on patient care of the Government's proposal that overspending by a group of general practitioners in one year will result in a reduction in their budget in the following year.
§ The Prime MinisterNone. If a practice budget becomes overspent, it will be open to the budget holders to seek a budgetary review. Should the review find that a higher level of spending was justified by virtue of changed circumstances since the initial budget was set, there will be no compensatory reduction in the following year. In any event, practice budgets will always be set at levels which safeguard the interests of patients and no changes will be made to budgets which would jeopardise this fundamental principle.