§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many general practitioner practices in each county in Wales will be eligible under his Department's criteria to become a fund-holding practice;
(2) how many general practitioner practices in Wales will be eligible under his Department's criteria to become fund-holding practices.
§ Mr. GristIt is not possible to place a figure on the number of practices meeting the eligibility criteria for fund-holding status. While each practice fund will require a minimum of 9,000 patients, smaller practices are enabled to group together to attain this number. In addition to its patient list size, each practice will need to demonstrate its ability to manage a practice fund.