asked the Minister for Health if he will state (a) the capital available from the Hospitals' Trust Fund for the hospitalisation and health schemes; (b) the current income from the fund; (c) the amount of capital earmarked for construction and improvements likely to be commenced during the next ten years, distinguishing between funds earmarked wholly for tuberculosis treatment and for other projects; and (d) the amount of income earmarked for (i) improvements, and (ii) other purposes, for the current financial years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hospitals' Trust Fund Expenditure.
(a) The amount available in the Hospitals' Trust Fund was £9.493,152 9s. od. on 31st October, 1949, the latest date for which a figure is available.
(b) The income available from investments by the Hospitals' Trust Board, the body charged with the responsibility of managing the Hospitals' Trust Fund, amounted to £345,938 14s. od. in the year 1948.
(c) I have already indicated that I have approved a large-scale constructional programme of hospital and cognate building works for completion in the seven years ending in 1955. The settlement of a programme for the ensuing years has not yet been gone into. The seven years' short-term programme was estimated to cost £17,500,000, of which about £13,750,000 would be made good by grants from the fund; but, as I indicated in a reply to a recent question, the cost is likely to be higher than this amount. On the basis of an estimate of £17,500,000, the amount to be spent on tuberculosis works would be about £4,250,000 and on other works about £13,250,000. Of these sums, approximately £4,250,000 would be by way of grants for tuberculosis works, and approximately £9,500,000 would be spent on grants for other works.
I should mention that the Hospitals' Trust Fund as it stands is not specifically earmarked in whole or in part for any of the various purposes on which it may be expended.
(d) As in the case of the fund itself, the income from investments is not specifically earmarked for either improvements or other purposes.