§ Dr. MoonieTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to allocate sufficient resources for National Health Service funding for Scotland in 1988–89 to maintain the development of services in the community for elderly, mentally ill and mentally handicapped people, without reducing the level of acute services.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythGross expenditure in the National Health Service in Scotland has risen from £1,053 million in 1979–80 to an estimated £2,334 million in the current year, a cash increase of over 120 per cent. This
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Unfilled vacancies—Dundee Jobcentre area 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 January — 536 273 303 321 322 190 205 419 February — 501 311 289 416 241 201 249 369 March — 476 373 291 424 270 218 267 358 April — 472 329 307 293 219 205 315 326 May — 468 288 366 389 179 200 342 267 June 692 347 272 402 369 169 257 534 365 July 674 403 302 352 370 110 273 437 434 August 563 359 274 366 265 120 198 437 510 September 602 346 283 419 269 195 384 517 495 corresponds with growth of about 27 per cent. in real terms. The allocation for 1988–89 will shortly be announced and it will be for health boards to give adequate priority to the development of community care provision and of acute services from the very substantial resources made available to them.