§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider as a basis for action the report commissioned from the Economist Intelligence Unit by the National Fund for Research into Crippling Diseases entitled "Care with Dignity", a copy of which has been sent to him; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir K. JosephNo. I am aware of the assertion in the report that annual increases of 18–20 per cent. in expenditure—to which I assume the hon. Member refers—are needed to secure worthwhile improvements, but this includes the 123W author's estimates of the rate of inflation and the relative price effect. The Government appreciate the need to make allowance for these factors at the appropriate time in order that the planned rate of growth of services should be attained. As the 1972 White Paper on Public Expenditure to which the report seems to make no reference had made clear, the Government plan to increase expenditure on overall health and personal social services by 3.9 and on the personal social services by 8.5 per cent. per annum, in both cases in real terms—that is, after allowing for price changes and for the relative price effect—between 1971–72 and 1976–77; and special emphasis will be placed on services for the elderly and the disabled including the younger disabled requiring long-term care. This will allow for a planned growth in service which well exceeds the forecast growth in numbers of the disabled, so that we can confidently expect to improve services, particularly community care services.