§ Mr. SwayneTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget is for the current public consultation regarding the(a) future and (b) reform of the NHS. [122140]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 15 May 2000]: The overall cost of the public consultation will depend upon the nature of the public response, but we are meeting the costs from existing resources following reprioritisation within the Department.
242WAll staff who are working on the National Plan have either been seconded from the National Health Service or Government. The cost of producing 1,000,000 leaflets for staff is around £55,000 and of producing 12,000,000 leaflets for the public is around £200,000. Other public involvement activity, which includes the public fora and focus groups, will cost around £85,000.
The consultation will help shape the National Plan which will underpin the way in which the additional resources for the NHS over the next four years of £4.2 billion in 2000–01, £3.7 billion in 2001–02, £4.1 billion in 2002–03 and £4.4 billion in 2003–04 will be used for the modernisation of the NHS.