To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2006, Official Report, column 2099W, on the private finance initiative, what outstanding issues of (a) affordability and (b) capacity are preventing a decision on the private finance initiative review by the Treasury of Peterborough and Stamford hospitals NHS foundation trust scheme from being more swiftly expedited; and if she will make a statement. (99413)

The East of England strategic health authority are now considering the full business case for the Peterborough and Stamford NHS Foundation Trust private finance initiative scheme. It is expected that the FBC will be available for the Department to review by the end of the year. Production of an FBC is in the normal course of business and is a step that must be taken by all trusts with PFI schemes in order to transparently demonstrate, among other aspects, that the capacity and affordability assumptions underpinning a scheme are robust. The particular concerns that the FBC will need to address are that the future income generation assumptions from the release of assets consequent on the scheme are sound, and that bed number assumptions are compatible with the economy wide capacity planning being undertaken by the SHA.