HC Deb 10 May 1977 vol 931 cc447-8W
Mr. Baker

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish an index of public expenditure on health and personal social services, and an index of expenditure on social security, at constant prices, for each year since 1945.

Mr. Moyle

Indices of net expenditure at constant prices on the health and personal social services (HPSS), and on social security (SS), are shown below from 1949–50 onwards. Details of expenditure on these services before the first full years of operation of the NHS, and of the National Insurance Fund, are not available in a form that would be comparable with later figures. The index for health and personal social services reflects the substantial changes in the nature of these services, as well as increases in the volume of expenditure.

HPSS SS
1949–50 100 100
1950–51 107 99
1951–52 104 94
1952–53 113 105
1953–54 105 108
1954–55 109 108
1955–56 116 115
1956–57 123 115
1957–58 122 119
1958–59 125 141
1959–60 129 148
1960–61 136 150
1961–62 133 161
1962–63 137 165
1963–64 143 186
1964–65 163 186
1965–66 157 209
1966–67 164 213
1967–68 170 236
1968–69 174 254
1969–70 184 259
1970–71 198 259
1971–72 204 276
1972–73 212 292
1973–74 223 288
1974–75 232 306
1975–76 240 339

Mr. Baker

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will estimate the proportion of public expenditure on health and social services, and of expenditure on social security, devoted to those aged under 16 and over 65 years at five year intervals since 1945.

Mr. Moyle

Analysis of expenditure in the health and personal social services by age group has only been undertaken recently. The proportion of current expenditure devoted to those aged under 16 and over 64 in 1975–76, including births, was 65 per cent. It is estimated that the equivalent proportion for social security expenditure is also 65 per cent. The social security estimate includes expenditure on claims for an adult dependent under 65 years of age by a person aged 65 and over, and supplementary benefit can only be allocated on a statistical basis. The proportion or expenditure in earlier years of the sequence requested could only be obtained at inordinate expense, and in any case the sources on which the analysis is based do not extend as far back as 1945.