To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress she has made in establishing an expanding practice allowance, as referred to in paragraph 3.33 of her Department’s White Paper of 30 January 2006, “Our Health, Our Care, Our Say”. (131932)

As we explained in paragraph 3.33 of “Our Health, Our Care, Our Say”, we have asked NHS employers to consider the case for establishing an expanding practice allowance as part of the general practice contract framework. Progress on this has however been inhibited by the decision by the British Medical Association to withdraw from the negotiation about the contract framework for 2007-08.