HC Deb 12 March 2002 vol 381 cc1053-4W
Mr. Todd

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 13 July 2001,Official Report, column 664W, on Information for Health, what external appraisal has been completed of (a) the scale of investment required and (b) the feasibility of Information for Health being completed within the resources allocated. [6743]

Mr. Hutton

I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002,Official Report, column 192W.

There has been no external appraisal of the scale of investment required for the completion of the strategy. There are Outline Business Cases and Full Business Cases for the larger elements of the strategy; these are subject to external approval. Other elements of strategic implementation are subject to local choice and individual local health communities decide on the levels of local investment which match local priority. These decisions are subject to local standing financial controls.