HL Deb 04 June 1990 vol 519 cc1077-8

2.51 p.m.

Lord Ennals asked Her Majesty's Government:

What will be the total cost to the National Health Service of preparing for and implementing the proposals contained in the National Health Service and Community Care Bill, for the years 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992-93.

Baroness Hooper

My Lords, for 1990-91, funding for the preparation and implementation of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill for the NHS is expected to be around £300 million in England: for community care the standard spending figure for personal social services in 1990-91 has been set at £3, 648 million, an increase of 13.4 per cent. on the equivalent figure for 1989-90.

Funding levels in the NHS as a whole for 1991-92 and beyond have yet to be finally decided.

Lord Ennals

My Lords, is it not bizarre, with health authorities across the country now cutting back on patient care (including the closure of wards) because of under-funding, that at precisely the same time £3C0 million is being made available for untested schemes of reorganisation? Will the noble Baroness confirm that the leading computer firms are pulling out of contracts to support GP budget holders, thus ensuring that these systems cannot possibly be in place in time?

Baroness Hooper

My Lords, the Government are now spending more than ever before on the National Health Service, as the noble Lord knows. We believe that it is full justification for our reforms that, as a result, we shall be avoiding the regular crises in management that presently occur.