Strategic Health Authorities (Hansard, 26 March 2002)

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what ceiling he has put on start up costs for the new strategic health authorities; and whether this is in ratio to the size of the population served. [42172]

§ Mr. Hutton
New Strategic Health Authorities will have a cap on their staffing numbers of 75 staff and £4 million running costs but the exact amount per authority will be determined by their franchise plan. The functions of the strategic health authorities are substantially the same across all 28 irrespective of size of the population they serve.

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the costs of establishing the North Yorkshire and Humberside Strategic Health 921W Authority (a) in new purpose-built health premises on the York Science Park and (b) by converting the existing NHS property at Willeby. [42094]

§ Jacqui Smith
The only cost incurred in provisionally locating and establishing the Strategic Health Authority (StHA) HQ for North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire is for the rent of two offices in the York Science Park for February and March 2002. This will be approximately £3,500. This is the Project Office for the Strategic Health Authority pending a discussion about its permanent location.
On 20 March 2002, the StHA shadow Board discussed the option appraisal and work in progress to produce an outline business case. It was unanimously agreed that appropriate criteria had been used to inform the option appraisal on the location of the StHA and that the decision made by the Chairman and Chief Executive (Designate) to accept the recommendation of the York Science Park was supported. Formal consideration of the outline business case will be part of the first StHA Board Meeting on 18 April 2002.
All the existing NHS accommodation, including the accommodation currently occupied by the East Riding and Hull Health Authority at Willerby, is proposed for future use in each locality and will largely accommodate primary care trust staff including shared services to support these organisations. For this reason, no estimate was made of the cost of establishing the North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire StHA HQ at Willberby.