§ Mr.Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied with the level of provision of social work services by Tayside region; and what is his estimate of the annual cost to Tayside health board in terms of the care of the elderly resulting from the level of services being provided by Tayside region.
§ Mr. FairgrieveThe level of provision of the services for which they are responsible is a matter for local authorities themselves to determine in the light of local needs and conditions. Expenditure by health boards, which must also decide their own priorities, is governed by annual cash-limited allocations from my Department. Identifiable expenditure on health services for the elderly by the Tayside health board amounted to some £7 million in 1977–78, the latest year for which figures on this basis are readily available, but it is not possible to estimate the financial effect on Tayside health board of the level of services for the elderly provided by Tayside regional council.