HC Deb 30 November 1995 vol 267 cc865-6W
Ms Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the services of(a) chiropodists, (b) dieticians, (c) medical laboratory scientists, (d) occupational therapists, (e) orthoptrists, (f) physiotherapists, (g)radiographers and (h)speech therapists are categorised as clinical services for the purposes of the private finance initiative in the NHS. [3341]

Mr. Horam

There is no requirement upon national health service trusts to include these services as part of the testing of private finance options. But these are matters for local determination and cannot be decided without the support of local clinicians.

Mr. Bayley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many national health service trusts in England are developing plans to use the PFI to care for acutely mentally ill patients. [3220]

Mr. Horam

To ensure that national health service capital projects meet NHS needs as cost effectively as possible, the option of using private finance, under this Government's private finance initiative, must be considered for every potential capital project. Formulation of plans for projects to meet local needs is the responsibility of NHS trusts and health authorities. The information requested is not available centrally.

Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the principal differences between the private finance initiative schemes which may be developed with public finance if no suitable private capital can be raised and those which may be developed only if private capital can be raised; and if he will make a statement. [3476]

Mr. Horam

To ensure that national health service capital projects meet NHS needs as cost-effectively as possible, the option of using private finance, under this Government's private finance initiative, must be considered for every potential capital project. In the event that private capital is unobtainable for a particular scheme, public capital funding will be considered.

Mr. Bayley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the nature, value and location of all private finance initiative projects in the NHS with a project value of £1 million or more which have been approved to date. [3475]

Mr. Horam

I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Sackville) gave the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 6 November at columns622–23.

One further project with a capital value greater than £1 million has been approved:

£ million
Anglia and Oxford Region, South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust New hospital developments at High Wycombe and Amersham 35

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