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NHS Bank

Volume 457: debated on Wednesday 7 March 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS Bank (a) received, (b) loaned and (c) recovered in each year since it was established; and if she will make a statement on its operation. (121792)

The NHS Bank is funded from a central allocation from the Department of Health. The contributions received and repayments made by strategic health authority (SHA) in each year since 2002 are set out as follows:

NHS special assistance funding provided

£ million

Avon Gloucester and Wiltshire

Surrey and Sussex

Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

Thames Valley

Kent and Medway

Total

2002-03

45

30

25

100

2003-04

70

40

25

17

152

2004-05

40

20

10

70

2005-06

20

(8)

12

2006-07

(7)

(5)

(12)

175

83

25

30

9

322

In addition to the distribution of special assistance funding, the NHS Bank also managed the brokerage of cash and capital resources between SHAs, from its inception in 2003 until 2005-06. The NHS Bank provided funding to SHAs only. The Bank does not provide repayable loans to PCTs and NHS trusts. The distribution of funding to individual organisations is the responsibility of the relevant SHA.

Any cash contributed from, or received by, an SHA under these arrangements was returnable in full in the following financial year. In addition, a one-off cash rebasing was carried out in 2003-04 that was not returnable the following year. The following table summarise all brokerage and cash rebasing that was managed through the NHS Bank.

NHS cash brokerage

£ million

Brokerage received

Brokerage issued

Net position

2003-04

New brokerage

170

483

313

Cash Rebasing

212

212

2004-05

Prior yr reversal

483

170

313

New brokerage

410

317

93

2005-06

Prior yr reversal

317

410

93

New brokerage

372

660

288

660

372

288

From 2006-07, cash support to NHS trusts will be provided by interest bearing loans and deposits issued by the Department.