§ Mr. DonaldsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Department of Health in Northern Ireland about the initiative to reduce waiting lists through the funding of operations for UK citizens in other European countries. [11661]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 1 November 2001]: Officials in the Department have had discussions with colleagues in Northern Ireland about the implications of recent European Court of Justice rulings on cross-border health treatment for treating United Kingdom patients abroad. However, the decision to commission treatment for patients from Northern Ireland elsewhere in the European Economic Area is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly.