To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the percentage of the NHS performance pool money announced by his Department on 18 March 1998 for NHS trusts which met waiting list targets which has been allocated; if he will give the value of such money distributed to each health trust; what criteria were used to make awards; and if he will publish the target levels for waiting lists for each health trust and the actual current level of waiting list. [65807]

[holding answer 18 January 1999]: No allocations have yet been made from the money set aside to reward good performance by NHS Trusts in reducing waiting lists. The target levels for waiting lists reductions are held at Health Board level and are given in Table A. Waiting lists figures, by Health Board, at 30 September 1998 are set out in Table B. Waiting lists data, by Health Board, is published quarterly, and the figures for 31 December 1998 are not yet available. From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.