§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what measures he has taken since 2 May to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy; and if he will make a statement; [16106]
264W(2) what is his estimate of the amount of money saved by his actions against waste in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [16100]
§ Mr. Ron DaviesI have set in train a number of measures that will reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and lead to better services for patients, business and the general public. These include
NHS: Management cost savings of £6 million this year; a White Paper to come on abolishing the internal market; a review of Trust configuration.Quangos: The creation of a single Economic Powerhouse for Wales and the absorption of Tai Cymru and 2 Special Health Authorities into the Assembly.Education: Abolition of the nursery voucher scheme.Local Government: Consultation on proposals to give local authorities more flexibility when conducting tendering exercises.TECs: Planned reduction in the number of Training and Enterprise Councils from 6 to 4.