§ Mr. PageTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the extra money promised for the NHS in the Budget will be given to the Watford and Mount Vernon NHS Trust to reduce waiting lists. [38864]
§ Mr. Milburn[holding answer 21 April 1998]: Of the extra £417 million made available in the Budget to the National Health Service in England for 1998–99, £320 million will be targeted directly on cutting waiting lists. Ninety per cent. of this will be allocated to health authorities in line with their initial general allocations for this financial year against targets for reduced waiting lists by the end of March 1999. These targets will in turn be built into service agreements with NHS Trusts. The other 581W ten per cent. will be used to reward good performance and to tackle poor performance. Further announcements on the remaining £97 million will be made in due course.