NHS Numbers (Hansard, 17 December 1991)

§ Mr. Dorrell

The national health service central register, which is part of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, controls the issue of national health service numbers in England and Wales.

For births in England and Wales, the registrars of births and deaths issue a national health service number, on behalf of the national health service central register, as part of the process of the legal registration of the birth.

Numbers issued this way over the last three years are:

Midyear to mid year	Number (000s)
1988–89	687.4
1989–90	691.6
1990–91	706.7

Additionally, the national health service central register issues, centrally, national health service numbers where the allocation of a number is necessary in all circumstances other than birth. Examples are the allocation of numbers to immigrants and provision of a number in adoption cases but allocation can occur whenever a patient registers with a general practitioner without providing a number and the patient cannot be positively traced on the central register. The number of allocations have been: 133W

Year	Number (000s)
1989	153.2
1990	135.1
1991	¹362.6
¹ The high number of allocations this year is a consequence of resolving queries during computerisation of the central register and a return to pre-1991 levels is expected in the future.

(£ million)
	New construction and improvement	Structural maintenance including bridge repair	Other highway maintenance including lighting and road safely	Total
1980–81	50.1	66.2	116.3
1981–82	48.0	86.7	134.8
1982–83	65.8	78.6	144.3
1983–84	58.2	87.4	145.7
1984–85	54.9	88.2	143.1
1985–86	64.6	89.1	153.7
1986–87	66.9	97.3	164.2
1987–88	78.5	109.6	188.0
1988–89	63.4	115.7	179.0
1989–90	73.3	47.5	77.1	197.8
1990–91¹	78.3	58.8	75.1	212.2
1991–92¹	97.4	65.5	76.8	239.7

Figures do not necessarily acid up because of rounding.

Separate figures for structural and current maintenance were not collected before 1989–90.

¹ Provisional figures.