§ Mr. LuffTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consider proposals for strategic health authorities that cross boundaries of Government office regions to coincide with patterns of delivery of clinical services.[8041]
§ Mr. HuttonThe criteria for proposed strategic health authorities are that they should have a population of around 1.5 million, their boundaries should be coterminous with an aggregate of local authority boundaries and their boundaries should not cut across Government office for the regions boundaries. It has also been determined that boundaries should reflect clinical networks as closely as possible. The criteria for strategic health authority boundaries are in line with the principles set out in the Modernising Government White Paper. We have no plans to review the criteria for strategic health authority boundaries.