§ Mr. FlightTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what his latest assessment is of the average(a) private, (b) public and (c) total spending on health in EU member states expressed as a percentage of GDP; and what he expects those figures to be in 2004–05. [21058]
§ Mr. HuttonThe latest figures for the European Union member states are as follows:
Average health care expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product Expenditure 1998 Private 2.0 Public 5.9 Total 7.9 Source:
OECD data 2001
There are no projections for changes in the balance between public and private health care spending. There is no evidence to suggest that in 2004–05 the average total health spending as a percentage of gross domestic product will be any different to current levels.