§ Mr. Marlowasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take urgent action to investigate whether there has been an increase or decrease in the administrative staff in the health authorities in Northamptonshire resulting from the recent reorganisation; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenNo. My hon. Friend may, however, care to write to the district health authority chairmen if he has reason to be concerned over the level of NHS administrative staff employed locally.
The Government's policy on management costs requires all regions to reduce the percentage of costs devoted to management to 4.61 per cent. of turnover by 1984–85. This will produce nationally a 10 per cent. reduction on the costs in 1979–80. The Oxford regional health authority's management costs percentage in 1982–83 was 4.45 per cent., which indicates that it is well on target. It is for RHAs to decide how management costs targets are determined within the region.