§ Mr. ClellandTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost of allowances and expenses to members of family practitioner committees in the last year for which figures are available; and what is the projected cost of such allowances and expenses in the first full year of family health service units.
§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley[holding answer 27 January 1992]: Family health services authorities (FHSAs) were established on 17 September 1990 and consequently 1989–90 was the last full financial year of operation for their predecessor family practitioner committees (FPCs). Arrangements to remunerate (essentially to compensate) members for their time spent on FHSA business were introduced only during 1990–91.
The information derivable from the 1989–90 and 1990–91 annual accounts of FPCs/FHSAs in England is shown as follows.
This detailed information is not collected in-year and any projected cost for the current financial year would be speculative. However, broadly equivalent information derived from the 1991–92 annual accounts of FHSAs will be available in the autumn.
1989–90 £000 (cash) 1990–91 £000 (cash) Chairmen's remuneration 450 1,003 Members' remuneration — 2,234 Members' travelling and subsistence expenses 498 527