§ Sir Peter EmeryTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will list the actual cost of drugs provided under the national health service per family for each of the years 1980 to 1990; and what each of these costs would have been if there had been no inflation since 1980.
§ Mr. DorrellThe information is not available in the precise form requested. The following table sets out the annual cost of drugs in the national health service in England per head of population(a) in cash terms and (b) at 1980–81 prices, for the financial years 1980–81 to 1989–90.
Financial year In cash terms At 1980–81 prices (based on GDP deflator) £ £ 1980–81 20.48 20.48 1981–82 23.29 21.24 1982–83 26.79 22.81 1983–84 29.81 24.27 1984–85 31.31 24.26 1985–86 33.35 24.50 1986–87 35.89 25.49 1987–88 39.83 26.83 1988–89 44.68 28.05 1989–90 49.40 29.15