§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of his Department's budget was spent on the development of treatment and care for Alzheimer's sufferers in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the provision for those with Alzheimer's; [173269]
(2) what future funding has been allocated specifically in relation to the development of treatment and care for Alzheimer's sufferers. [173271]
§ Dr. LadymanFunding for the development of treatment and care for people with Alzheimer's disease is not identified separately, but is part of general allocations to local health and social care organisations. It is for local primary care trusts, in partnership with other local national health service and social care organisations, to assess the needs of the local population and meet them from general funding allocations.
The Government are committed to improving standards of health and social care and people with Alzheimer's disease will benefit from the new investment that is being made available to support this commitment. For the NHS there is an annual average funding increase of 7.5 per cent. above inflation over the five years 2003–04 to 2007–08. This is now the largest ever sustained increase in NHS funding. There have also been substantial increases in the level of funding provided for social services in recent years. Social services resources will increase by an annual average of 6 per cent., in real terms from 2003–04 to 2005–06. These significant funding increases will help provide new and better health and social care services for people with Alzheimer's disease.