§ Mr. Cohenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the cost of the last nurses' pay rise to Waltham Forest district health authority (a) in the current year and (b) in the next full year; and if he will state the specific additional Government resources provided for this purpose in both periods.
§ Mr. HayhoeDetails of the costs to individual health authorities of pay awards are not held centrally. The hon. Member may like to approach Waltham Forest health authority direct.
Resources are not allocated specifically to meet pay costs; health authorities are expected to meet pay and price pressures and fund service developments from the total cash allocated to them each year and from their growing programme of cost improvement. In 1985–86, cash allocations to health authorities in England increased by over £500 million and cost improvements worth some £150 million are planned. As regards health service funding in 1986–87, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the Member for Surrey, South-West (Mrs. Bottomley) on 12 November at columns 162–63.