asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have any plans to alter the relationship between Monitor and National Health Service foundation trusts.[HL520]

As described in the consultation document published on 27 November 2006, The Future Regulation of Health and Adult Social Care, Monitor will continue to regulate National Health Service foundation trusts ensuring that they meet the requirements for governance, financial stability and delivery of mandatory services set out in their terms of authorisation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How much National Health Service foundation trusts have borrowed from the private sector by way of loans with repayment terms extending beyond one year.[HL521]

I am advised by the chairman of Monitor (whose statutory name is the Independent Regulator of National Health Service Foundation Trusts) that no NHS foundation trust has made any such borrowing to date.

Monitor will shortly be publishing its six-month report on the NHS foundation trust sector for the period 1 April to 30 September 2006 on its website (www.monitor-nhsft.gov.uk). This will show that, further to its ability to do so under Monitor's prudential borrowing code for NHS foundation trusts (a copy of which was laid before Parliament in March 2005), NHS foundation trusts have borrowed approximately £75 million from the department's foundation trust financing facility.