asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the £30 million to be saved as a result of National Health Service reorganisation envisaged in " Patients First" will include the £11 million savings in management costs planned and embarked upon by the previous Government.

No. The reduction in the cost of managing the National Health Service, that will be achieved if the proposals in " Patients First" are confirmed as policy and implemented, will be additional to the reduction achieved under the previous Government's initiative.