§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what contact there has been between him and Greater Glasgow health board over the future of Health Care International in Clydebank; and what action he is expecting from the Greater Glasgow health board.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonAt the instigation of one of the banks involved in the leading consortium, one of my officials spoke to the acting general manager of the Greater Glasgow health board. No further contact is contemplated.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place the terms of the initial agreement966W between the Scottish Office and Health Care International in the Library.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonA copy of the Secretary of State's authorisation of the construction of the Health Care International hospital at Clydebank is available in the Library.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if(a) he or (b) the Greater Glasgow health board conducted any work to estimate how much it would cost to adapt Health Care International in Clydebank for use in the national health service.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonIn response to a request in mid-September from one of the members of the HCI lending consortium, my officials made a very rough estimate of the cost of adapting the HCI hospital for use as an NHS hospital. Their co-operation was given in order to assist the banks in examining the full range of options available for the future funding of HCI. My officials made clear that the option of bringing the hospital into NHS use was not one which the Government favoured.