Clause 11 - Power of Secretary of State to give financial assistance
Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill
3:15 pm
Dr Evan Harris (Oxford West and Abingdon, Liberal Democrat)
Surely the Minister must recognise that one of the broader questions, which may not be particularly detailed, is whether the creation of foundation trusts is creating not only a two-tier system, but a two-tier system that is more unfair than the sort of ''tierism'' that one gets from allowing different providers and a mixed market.
Will there be greater financial freedoms for foundation trusts than non-foundation trusts? That is particularly important, as the Government are not allowing any trust to have a financially free status—as we would—but are selecting them on the basis of the matters we have been talking about in the clauses to date. Does the Minister understand that it is extremely frustrating to my party—and, I would have thought, to some of Labour Members—not to know until the review is complete how great an advantage a foundation trust will have on retained surpluses compared with non-foundation trusts; at least in the interim period, until every hospital, as he sees it, is a foundation trust?