§ Mr. McAllionasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set out the figures for revenue spending for Tayside health board for each of the last eight years at 1987 prices; and what account these figures take of demographic change in addition to inflation.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe Scottish health authorities revenue equalisation (SHARE) formula—under which financial resources for recurrent spending on hospital and community health services are allocated among individual health boards—takes account of demographic changes as well as a range of other factors. The following table shows Tayside health board's allocation, after adjustment for inflation as measured by the GDP deflator, for each year since 1979–80.
£ thousand at 1986–87 prices 1979–80 123,067 1980–81 136,055 1981–82 135,204 1982–83 133,266 1983–84 132,831 1984–85 134,342 1985–86 132,340 1986–87 136,123 1987–88 139,633
§ Mr. McAllionasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set out for each year since 1979 what changes have been made in the National Health Service budget for Tayside health board to achieve savings; how much was saved each year by each of those changes; by how much 873W staffing has been cut in each year as a result of those changes and in what grades; and what plans there are for the current year in each of these respects.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythIn each of the past three years all health boards were asked to introduce efficiency measures which would achieve savings of 1 per cent., 1.5 per cent. and 1.5 per cent. respectively in their recurrent expenditure. Tayside health board has achieved cumulative savings during 1985–86 and 1986–87 of nearly £3 million, and plans to achieve further savings of some £1.6 million this financial year. Boards retain the proceeds of efficiency improvements. No information is held centrally on detailed staffing changes within individual health boards resulting from the introduction of efficiency improvements, although general information on manpower levels is contained in "Scottish Health Statistics", published annually by the information and statistics division of the Common Services Agency. Copies are held in the Library.