§ Mr. WattsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's assessment is of the likely financial and staffing implication for the new building criteria for new hospitals. [74954]
§ Mr. HuttonAffordability of all hospital building schemes, whether public finance initiative or publicly funded, has to be assessed alongside the resources for the clinical service commitments involved at new 125W hospitals, following guidance set out in the NHS Capital Investment Manual (1994). The commissioners have to clearly set out in the outline business case that they agree to the level, mix and cost of clinical services upon which the business case is based and that they can afford to pay for the services along with costs arising from the building project.