§ 14. Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with health authorities on their current financial situations; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. David HuntMy officials and I have had many such discussions.
§ Mr. GriffithsWould the Secretary of State like to explain why on 31 August the Minister of State wrote a letter to Dr. D. B. Powell of the Princess of Wales hospital in Bridgend stating that the Mid Glamorgan district health authority had underspent according to the figures provided up to 31 July, yet on 10 November the health authority reported in the press that it was £1.2 million overspent? Does he agree that that reflects the position throughout Wales? What does the Welsh Office intend to do about the underfunding of the health service in Wales?
§ Mr. HuntThe hon. Gentleman should look at the facts and statistics when he refers to the underfunding of the health service in Wales. When this Government came to office in 1979, the amount spent on the health service in Wales was £481.5 million, and this year it was £1,540 million—more than treble. The financial allocation in Mid Glamorgan for 1978–89 was £49 million and this year the provisional recurring allocation is £160 million. There has been a substantial increase in cash terms and the hon. Gentleman should look at the facts and statistics before attempting to reach conclusions such as the one that he just made.