§ Mr. WoolasTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what extra resource allocation he has made to the West Pennine Health Authority from the additional spending on mental health for 1999–2000; [75536]
(2) if he will estimate the amount which would have been allocated to the West Pennine Health Authority from the additional spending on mental health funds for 1999–2000 on a purely per capita method of calculation; [75537]
(3) what were the criteria used for the allocation of the additional spending on mental health to health authorities. [75519]
§ Mr. HuttonThe West Pennine Health Authority received £30,000 as part of the directly allocated mental health element of the Modernisation Fund, which in 1999–2000 totalled £19.1 million.
373WAllocation to health authorities (HA) took account of three factors:
- (a) identified service gaps in each
- (b) the HA's need for mental health services based on a weighted population score;
- (c) for London HAs recognition of the evidence of a higher level of need.
If the £19.1 million had been issued in line with the weighted capitation formula used to inform unified allocations, West Pennine Health Authority's hypothetical share would have been £185,000. However, this approach would not have been appropriate for distributing funds which we wished to target specifically to where they were most needed.
West Pennine Health Authority may benefit from centrally held budgets for mental health services yet to be allocated.