§ Mrs. Bridget PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each year from 1990 the expenditure on staff cars for each(a) health authority and (b) NHS trust in England and Wales.
§ Dr. MawhinneyFigures for expenditure on staff cars by regional, district and special health authorities and trusts in England are available only for 1991–92 and 1992–93. These are shown in tables which will be placed in the Library. Lease cars may be allocated to employees who have to travel regularly on national health service business where it is deemed to be in the interest of the service. Under these arrangements, the employee contributes towards lease costs according to the amount of private mileage done. A large proportion of the staff cars are used by midwives, community nurses, health visitors, doctors 679W and other health professionals working in the community. This partly reflects the move away from hospital-based care as part of the care in the community programme.
There are no separate data available centrally on "pool cars" which are available for business use but are parked overnight on the employer's premises.
Information relating to Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.