§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of his Department's budget was spent on children's health services each year from 1972 to the latest convenient date; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John Patten[pursuant to his reply, 8 December 1983, c. 228.]: Expenditure on children's health services is not identified separately. The Department makes estimates of hospital and community health services and family practitioner services expenditure by broad age groups. The estimated percentage of total expenditure on
384W
Number of persons on in-patient waiting lists on 31 March 1983 Region—Northern Regional Health Authority Urgent Non-urgent District Health Authority All cases Cases on list for more than one month All cases Cases on list for more than one year Total cases Hartlepool 26 7 1,744 342 1,770 North Tees 3 — 1,693 397 1,696 South Tees 227 181 9,959 3,683 10,186 East Cumbria 22 17 3,024 753 3,046 South Cumbria 18 2 1,154 135 1,172 West Cumbria 23 5 1,731 227 1,754 Darlington 81 34 2,954 361 3,035 Durham 10 — 1,260 227 1,270 North West Durham 30 24 793 291 823 South West Durham — — 744 162 744 Northumberland 218 192 1,632 260 1,850 Gateshead 104 66 1,223 245 1,327 Newcastle upon Tyne 1,938 1,639 9,566 2,686 11,504 North Tyneside 9 2 1,298 162 1,307 South Tyneside — — 828 70 828 Sunderland 142 109 5,112 635 5,254 TOTAL 2,851 2,278 44,715 10,656 47,566 these services spent on children up to the age of 15 for each of the years 1978–79 to 1981–82 is given below; during this period the number of children has fallen slightly. Comparable information for earlier years is not readily available.
Estimated percentage of HCHS and FPS expenditure on children aged up to 15 years England per cent. 1978–79 15 1979–80 14 1980–81 14 1981–82 14