§ 36. Ms MoranTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress with the PFI hospital building programme. [18265]
§ Mr. MilburnThe prioritisation of major acute hospital Private Finance Initiative (PFI) schemes and the passing of the National Health Service (Private Finance) Act 1997 in July have resulted in financial close and start on site for the first two whole-hospital PFI schemes, at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust (£115 million) and Carlisle Hospitals NHS Trust (£87 million). The other 13 major acute PF1 schemes that have been prioritised are scheduled to reach financial close by the end of 1998. We are also considering how PFI can usefully be extended into the non-acute and primary care fields.