§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of his Department's expenditure was allocated to diabetes mellitus in(a) 1984, (b) 1989, (c) 1994, (d) 1999 and (e) the latest date for which figures are available. [173735]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonInformation is not collected centrally on how much is spent on the treatment of diabetes. However, it has been estimated that around five per cent. of total national health service resources are used for the care of people with diabetes.
In his 2002 Budget, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced an historic five-year settlement for the national health service, which provides a sustained high level of growth in funding across the whole period. These plans mean that, 1181W for the period 2003–04 to 2007–08, expenditure on the NHS in England will increase on average by 7.3 per cent. a year over and above inflation, a total increase over the period of 42 per cent. in real terms However, in keeping with the philosophy of "Shifting the Balance of Power", primary care trusts are free to decide the allocation of resources locally.