The United Bermuda Party was frustrated in its attempts to squeeze information on hospital finances out of Health Minister Walter Roban.

Mr. Roban was asked a succession of follow-up questions to his ministerial statement on improvements to health care during his year in Cabinet, but gave little away on Friday.

Shadow Education Minister Grant Gibbons had picked up on a comment from the Minister that profit from the hospital is put straight back into health care improvements. "How much profit are you talking about?" he asked during the House of Assembly's parliamentary questions session.

When Mr. Roban said an answer would be provided in due course, Dr. Gibbons continued: "Given the high cost of health care, is it appropriate that the hospital is operating on a profit basis?"

Mr. Roban replied that the hospital doesn't operate on a profit basis and is given a grant from Government.

"If the hospital doesn't operate on a profit basis, why is he referring to profit being put back into the hospital?" asked Dr. Gibbons.

Mr. Roban responded: "He said exactly what I said. That's my answer."

That prompted the former UBP leader to dig: "Does the honourable member understand what lies beneath what he has written in his statement?"