§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she is aware of the fact that the Wessex Regional Health Authority receives less money per head than any other region; and if she will take action to rectify this state of affairs.
§ Dr. OwenYes, I am aware of the position. Existing allocation arrangements are designed to reduce disparities between regions as quickly as practicable. The arrangements take account not only of total population but also of differences in the utilisation of health services, for instance by different age groups. I am considering possible improvements in the ways of comparing the needs of different areas.