HC Deb 16 December 1993 vol 234 cc887-8W
Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each health board the budget for patient travel.

Mr. Stewart

[holding answer 10 December 1993]: The information is as follows:

Health Board 1993–94 £
Argyll and Clyde 224,000
Ayrshire and Arran 75,500
Borders 15,600
Dumfries and Galloway 44,300
Fife 41,700
Forth Valley 31,300
Grampian 156,300
Greater Glasgow 200,600
Highland 352,200
Lanarkshire 65,100
Lothian 83,400
Tayside 49,500
Orkney 380,200
Shetland 481,200
Western Isles 654,100

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by health board, for each year since 1990(a) the number of patients flown to the mainland, (b) the number of medical staff flown to the mainland, (c) the number of visiting medical staff flying from the mainland and (d) the number of flights which will be affected by the imposition of air passenger duty.

Mr. Stewart

[holding answer 10 December 1993]: This information is not held centrally.

Mr. Wallace

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has regarding the additional cost to(a) Orkney health board and (b) Shetland health board in respect of sending patients to the United Kingdom mainland for treatment as a result of the proposed introduction of air passenger duty.

Mr. Lang

[holding answer 15 December 1993]: Aircraft of under 10 tonnes maximum take-off weight, or seating under 20 passengers are to be exempted from the new excise duty. In practice this will exclude air ambulances operated by the Scottish ambulance service and there will be no additional cost to these health boards.

It is not expected that Orkney and Shetland health boards will require to purchase many tickets for non-emergency patients to be carried on fare paying scheduled flights to the mainland. Any additional costs would be more than offset by the 4.5 per cent. increase in funding for the NHS in Scotland which my right hon. Friend has announced for the next financial year.