HC Deb 18 December 1997 vol 303 cc329-32W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each of the major acute PFI schemes prioritised by his Department since May, how much each relevant health trust paid for each of the last three years in annual capital charges to the Treasury. [21402]

Mr. Milburn

National Health Service trusts do not pay capital charges to Her Majesty's Treasury. However, they do repay the interest on their interest bearing debt and may be required to pay a dividend on their Public Dividend Capital. The amounts of interest and dividends repaid for the last three years for each trust is shown in the table.

Major acute NHS private finance initiative scheme prioritisation Schemes selected to proceed
£000
NHS Trust 1994–95 total interest and dividends 1995–96 total interest and dividends 1996–97 total interest and dividends
Bishop Auckland Hospitals 1,062 691 668
Bromley Hospitals 3,329 3,372 3,874
Calderdale Healthcare 1,984 1,925 1,906
Carlisle Hospitals 1,559 1,072 1,145
Dartford and Gravesham 3,310 3,012 3,347
Greenwich Healthcare 3,199 3,536 3,506
Hereford Hospitals 1,275 1,232 1,324
Norfolk and Norwich Health Care 3,471 729 792
North Durham Acute Hospitals 1,711 1,064 1,808
South Buckinghamshire 3,544 3,599 3,970
South Manchester University Hospitals 4,341 3,449 3,982
South Tees Acute Hospitals 4,166 4,189 4,931
Swindon and Marlborough 1,505 1,578 2,067
Wellhouse 4,462 5,228 6,350
Worcester Royal Infirmary 1,551 1,837 2,099

Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was, for each of the 15 major acute PFI schemes prioritised by his Department since May, the actual and percentage charge in purchasers' annual revenue commitment to the schemes between outline and full business case. [21414]

Mr. Milburn

Commissioners do not make an annual revenue commitment to schemes at either the outline or full business case stage.

As part of the business planning process for both publicly and privately funded schemes health authorities are required to confirm that the proposals are affordable within the wider context of their plans for healthcare provision. It is the responsibility of the National Health Service trust to ensure that the revenue commitments implied by a scheme can be met from the resources available.

Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of staffed acute beds at NHS trusts with PFI developments prioritised by his Department since May(a) in 1996 and (b) projected upon completion of the scheme; and what is the percentage charge between the two in each case. [21415]

Mr. Milburn

Figures are provided in the table for the 15 prioritised schemesthe current number of staffed beds; the number of staffed beds required following the strategic investment appraisal conducted for the Outline Business Case (OBC); these are the number of beds which would have to be provided in a new hospital using public sector funding; the number of staffed beds projected to be provided in a new hospital under the PFI solution.

Trust Total number of NHS beds at present Total number of NHS beds proposed under public sector route in OBC) Total number of NHS beds provided by PFI solution
Norfolk and Norwich 964 701 809
South Buckinghamshire 577 537 535
Calderdale 784 594 573
South Manchester 1,248 881 881
Wellhouse 1406 406 2406
Dartford and Gravesham 451 400 400
Worcester 563 390 390
Bromley 619 525 507
Swindon and Marlborough 622 516 516
North Durham 3588 565 454
Carlisle 508 474 474
Hereford 414 340 340
Bishop Auckland 375 4223 341
Greenwich 575 621 565
South Tees 1,051 5955 980
Total 9,745 8,128 8,171
1 520 beds before the (publicly funded) Phase 1a of the redevelopment was completed.
2 Including phase 1a.
3 Until 1 August 1997 when closure of Shotley Bridge Hospital will mean 527.
4 Excludes beds that are to be retained at Bishop Auckland under the PFI option.
5 978 in OBC but adjusted down to 955 following further review of service activity.

Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each of the major acute PFI schemes prioritised by his Department since May(a) the cost of renovating the existing facilities and (b) the current estimated cost of the PFI scheme. [21399]

Mr. Milburn

Reliable estimates of the cost for renovating existing facilities are not available.

When the trusts which have had their Private Finance Initiative (PFI) schemes prioritised since May initially identified a case for change, as part of the outline business case supporting this, they produced a list of options. Following procedures set out in the National Health Service Capital Investment Manual for all NHS capital projects, these will have ranged from do minimum to extensive rebuilding. Renovation would have been the basis of one or more of the options considered but may have been combined with other actions such as improved maintenance, replacement of temporary buildings or partial new builds.

Reliable estimated capital values of the PFI schemes are only available where the full business case has been given approval. A list of the capital values for these schemes is given in the table.

Capital value of the PFI option
£ million
Norfolk and Norwich NHS Trust 194
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust 115
South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust 38
Carlisle Hospitals NHS Trust 87
Calderdale Healthcare NHS Trust 77

Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each lead consortium in each of the major acute PFI schemes prioritised by his Department since May will receive for the use of the new hospitals per year upon completion. [21401]

Mr. Milburn

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 15 December 1997,Official Report, columns 59–60 for details of the unitary payments at the schemes at Dartford and Gravesham National Health Service Trust and Carlisle Hospitals NHS Trust.

Since making that reply we are also pleased to announce that the scheme at South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust reached financial close on 16 December.

The estimated unitary payments for South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust are set out in the table.

Estimated annual unitary payment
South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust £ million
1998–99 3.7
1999–2000 5.0
2000–01 8.2
2001–02 8.2
2002–03 8.2
2003–04 8.2
2004–05 8.2
2005–06 8.5
2006–07 8.5
2007–08 8.5
2008–09 8.5
Estimated annual unitary payment
South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust £ million
2009–10 8.5
2010–11 8.5
2011–12 8.5
2012–13 8.5
2013–14 8.5
2014–15 8.5
2015–16 8.9
2016–17 8.4
2017–18 8.4
2018–19 8.4
2019–20 8.4
2020–21 8.4
2021–22 8.2
2022–23 8.2
2023–24 8.2
2024–25 8.2
2025–26 8.2
2026–27 6.0
2027–28 6.0
2028–29 6.0
Total unitary payments 244.6

1. Figures in 1997 prices and are subject to indexation.

2. Figures assume that the schemes become operational during 1999–2000, with the delivery of facilities management services beginning in 1998.

3. The figures assume full availability and performance standards are met throughout.

Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate by scheme the subsidies paid by his Department under the smoothing mechanism to the 15 major acute PFI schemes prioritised by his Department since May. [21413]

Mr. Milburn

No money has been paid under the smoothing mechanism to the 15 prioritised major acute Private Finance Initiative schemes. National Health Service trusts will not receive money from the smoothing mechanism until the PFI hospital becomes operational.