§ Ms HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the contract for the private finance initiative—PFI—rebuilding of the Royal London hospital to be signed; if he will publish the terms of the contract; and what PFI funding will be provided. [35208]
§ Mr. MaloneThe Royal Hospitals NHS trust issued an invitation to negotiate for this work in April, and formal responses to this invitation are due by 2 September. The trust will then choose a preferred bidder and work up a full business case for approval by the NHS executive and Her Majesty's Treasury. It is too early to say what the capital value of the scheme is likely to be, or when the contract is likely to be signed.
The terms of the contract will be commercial in confidence.