Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000

13 Primary Care Trusts

(1) After section 97D of the [1977 c. 49.] National Health Service Act 1977 (financial duties of Primary Care Trusts) there shall be inserted—

“97E Resource limits for Primary Care Trusts

(1) It is the duty of every Primary Care Trust to ensure that the use of their resources in a financial year does not exceed the amount specified for them in relation to that year by the Health Authority for the trust’s area.

(2) For the purpose of subsection (1) above no account shall be taken of any use of resources for the purpose of a trust’s general Part II expenditure (within the meaning of paragraph 4 of Schedule 12A).

(3) For the purpose of subsection (1) above the Secretary of State may give directions—

(a) specifying uses of resources which are to be, or not to be, taken into account;

(b) making provision for determining to which Primary Care Trust certain uses of resources are to be attributed;

(c) specifying descriptions of resources which are to be, or not to be, taken into account.

(4) Where an amount has been specified under this section in respect of a financial year, it may be varied by a later specification.

(5) Subsections (4) to (6) of section 97D above shall apply in relation to the duty under subsection (1) above as they apply in relation to the duty under section 97D(1); and for that purpose references to the defraying of expenditure and the receipt of sums shall be construed as references to the incurring of liabilities and the acquisition of assets.

(6) The provisions in section 97D(2) and (3) above about the giving of directions by the Secretary of State shall apply in relation to the duty under subsection (1) above as they apply in relation to the duty under section 97D(1).

(7) In this section a reference to the use of resources is a reference to their expenditure, consumption or reduction in value.”

(2) In the application of section 97E of the 1977 Act to Wales, for each reference to the Secretary of State there shall be substituted a reference to the National Assembly for Wales.