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Business of the House

Earlier today, the excellent House of Commons Library confirmed to me that the budget for the NHS for next year would be about £74.4 billion—something that I think hon. Members on both sides of the House would welcome. However, may we have an urgent debate as to why that money and those facilities are not getting into the front line of the NHS? I am sure that other trusts around the country are similarly affected, but when I met representatives of my local hospital trust last week with my hon. Friend the Member for South-West Hertfordshire (Mr. Gauke), they told me that they were £30 million in debt and that if they did not cut back their debt this year they would not have the money to pay doctors' and nurses' wages. So massive cuts are being instigated across the board in our hospital health trust, and in April 2006 the blue-light facilities will be switched off at Hemel Hempstead hospital. That means that our cardiac unit, our stroke unit, our intensive care unit and our accident and emergency unit will close. Where is taxpayers' money going?