§ Mr. SandersTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the age weighting in respect of the elderly and its effect on revenue allocations for 1999–2000. [64834]
§ Mr. DenhamThe formula used to inform allocations to health authorities for 1999–2000 comprises three components: hospital and community health services; general practitioner practice infrastructure; and prescribing.
Each component includes an adjustment to reflect the age characteristics of the local population. For each component, the elderly gain a higher weighting than all other age bands.