§ Mr. SillarsTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the amount paid by each area health board in claims for medical negligence in each of the past five years; and what are the contingency estimates for 1991–92.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe information requested was not held centrally prior to 1 January 1990 when financial responsibility for medical negligence was assumed by health boards. Given the small number of cases in certain health boards, it is not appropriate on the grounds of confidentiality to publish the information for 1990 in the form requested, but the total amount of compensation payments, including claimants' costs, for all boards in that year was £1,364,446. Present estimates indicate that the settlement figure for 1991–92 is likely to be close to the 1990 figure.