HC Deb 20 November 2003 vol 413 c1403W
Mr. Randall

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated patient capacity is of the proposed Paddington Health Campus; and how much that has increased from the estimate in 2000. [131866]

Mr. Hutton

The Paddington Health Campus will have provision for 1088 inpatient beds. This is an increase of 80 beds in comparison with the current total for equivalent services at St Mary's and the Royal Brompton and Harefield National Health Service Trusts. The original forecast projected bed numbers was approximately 1,000. The campus that is now planned is 20 per cent, larger in size and will treat a higher number of acutely ill patients.

Mr. Randall

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place a copy of the contract between the Paddington Health Campus project and Christow in the Library. [132572]

Mr. Hutton

Christow, a public relations consultancy, has been appointed on an interim basis, pending selection of permanent communications advisers via formal procurement. An advertisement was sent to theOfficial Journal of the European Union on 10 October 2003.

It is normal practice for such contracts to be commercially confidential, as releasing this information would entail disclosing a third party's commercial confidence. Exemption 13 of the Open Government Code of Practice therefore applies.

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