§ 25. Mr. PaiceTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to allow new hospitals or existing non-national health service hospitals such as military hospitals to become self-governing national health service trusts.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyNew national health service hospitals will be eligible to apply for NHS trust status once they are operational. Any NHS hospital or other unit actively involved in patient care may apply for trust status. Military hospitals are the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence and thus are not eligible.
§ 28. Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many national health service trust applications were rejected on the grounds of financial non-viability.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyNone. The decisions on the trust applications were taken in the light of all the information available to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, of which the financial assessment was one element.