§ Mr. MossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money was moved from the capital account to the revenue account in the Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services in the financial year ending March 1998; how much money is earmarked for such transfer in 1999 and 2000; which capital projects are being re-phased as a result of this movement of capital; and if any capital projects in the programme in 1997 have been abandoned. [32642]
§ Mr. WorthingtonIn the 1997/98 financial year £5.5 million capital was transferred to revenue.
32WThis sum became available in 1996/97 due to unforeseen delays in on-site dates for the new Causeway Hospital and the Altnagelvin Hospital nucleus extension, and re-ordering of the redevelopment programme for the Ulster Hospital. This was carried forward to 1997/98 under the normal arrangements for managing slippage in expenditure plans. No capital projects were therefore rephased as a result of the re-distribution of resources and no projects have been abandoned.
It is anticipated that £1 million will be transferred in each of the next 2 financial years to cover the revenue costs of PFI schemes.