HC Deb 13 July 1959 vol 609 cc18-9
19. Mr. Blenkinsop

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make special arrangements for the annual publication of local authority estimates of expenditure on health services in view of the absence of figures for grants to local authortities in the estimates for the current year.

Mr. Walker-Smith

I hope to continue the practice of publishing the latest available estimates of local health authority expenditure in the Ministry's Annual Report.

Mr. Blenkinsop

Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman not recognise that it is very disappointing not to have available in time for publication in the general estimates the figures for local government expenditure, as this means that the debates on the subject generally, which we may be having this week, for example, are to some extent vitiated by our not having up-to-date figures? Does the right hon. and learned Gentleman also recognise that we did not have them in respect of the block grants, in relation to actual completed expenditure?

Mr. Walker-Smith

I understand the hon. Member's difficulty in this matter. I am intending to ask the local authorities to let us have estimates of their expenditure on local health services for the current year. I am engaged at present in consultation with their associations about the precise form they should take and I will let the hon. Member have a copy when they are received. As to the future, I hope that in the 1960 Annual Report it may be possible to include local health authority figures then current, but it is rather tight timing if we are not to delay the publication of the Report.

Mrs. Braddock

In view of the extension of mental health services among local authorities, and in view of the Minister's statement that the global figure of increase in the services throughout the country is 2½ per cent., is he not aware that it is necessary that we should have some idea of what local authorities have spent in this direction, so that we can judge whether they are spending the amount additionally allocated to them as a result of the block grant?

Mr. Walker-Smith

I have that in mind and I will let the hon. Lady have a copy of the figures which I have promised to the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, East (Mr. Blenkinsop).

Dame Irene Ward

Can anyone on this side of the House have the figures also, or can they be made available in the Library? Will my right hon. and learned Friend not agree that they are of as much interest to us on this side of the House as they are to others?

Mr. Walker-Smith

My hon. Friend knows that she and I are in pretty frequent correspondence about various matters. I shall be very happy, of course, to include her and perhaps, to save time, I should say any hon. or right hon. Member who would like to have the figures.

Mr. Blenkinsop

Would it not save time if the Minister did away with the block grants and brought back a more sensible system of financing the health service?

Mr. Walker-Smith

I should have thought that was a classical example of burning the house down in order to get roast pig.