§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on how the figure of £140 million in his press release 95/473 to be transferred from administrative costs to patient care is calculated; what cash amount he intends to release from cuts in administrative costs in(a) NHS trusts, (b) health authorities, (c) GP fundholding practices and (d) other areas; and if these sums will be retained by the trusts, health authorities and general practitioner practices which make the savings, or will revert to the NHS executive or his Department. [38380]
§ Mr. MaloneWe expect planned spending on running district health authorities and family health services authorities and estimated spending by national health service trusts on managerial and non-clinical administrative staff to be reduced by 5 per cent. nationally in 1996–97 in cash terms. This is equivalent to an 8 per cent. reduction in real terms on the basis of the latest expected gross domestic product deflator for 1996–97 and is estimated to yield savings of some £140 million. I anticipate savings on health authority costs will amount to some £40 million in real terms and savings by trusts to some £100 million. The savings will be retained locally and will be available for patient care.