HC Deb 29 April 1975 vol 891 cc74-5W
7. Mr. Pardoe

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make a statement about any recent developments affecting her Department's budgets.

Mrs. Castle

My Department's budget for social security has not been affected by the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 15th April.—[Vol. 890, c. 294–8.] For the effect on the health capital building programme I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Preston, North (Mr. Atkins) on 15th April.—[Vol. 890, c.85–8.] I append a table showing the effects of the reduction of £62.5 million for 1976–77 on the figures given in Cmnd. 5879. As the House will remember, it was possible to increase the health capital programme by £19 million in 1975–76 and there has been no reduction in the budget for health and personal social services for this year. This has meant that we have been able to lift the moratorium on hospital building starts necessitated by the cuts imposed by my predecessor in December 1973 and increase the revenue allocation. I have decided that I must ensure that for 1976–

COMPARATIVE FORECASTS OF EXPENDITURE ON HEALTH AND PERSONAL SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAMME
England £million at 1974 survey prices
Cmnd. 5519 revalued 1974–75 Cmnd. 5519 as adjusted by December 1973 reductions Cmnd. 5879 1975–76 Cmnd. 5879 1976–77 Cmnd, 5879 Cmnd. 5879 as provisionally adjusted
HEALTH
Capital expenditure:
Hospitals and community health services … … 294.4 235.9 235.9 255.5 233.1 192.1
Family practitioners … … 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Other health services … … 1.1 0.9 1.8 2.7 6.0 5.4
Current expenditure:
Hospitals and community health services … … 1,807.4 1,778.9 1,791.5 1,845.7 1,884.3 1,873.5
Family practitioners … … 561.4 561.4 561.9 598.5 621.9 623.9
Other health services … … 42.3 41.8 42.3 42.9 42.6 42.0
PERSONAL SOCIAL SERVICES
Capital expenditure:
Central Government … … 1.0 0.8 0.9 1.6 2.3 2.0
Local authorities … … 83.8 67.1 73.9 76.3 70.0 57.0
Current expenditure:
Central Government … … 2.7 2.7 3.0 2.7 3.0 3.0
Local authorities … … 400.6 390.9 440.9 465.6 476.0 476.0
CENTRAL AND MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES
Capital expenditure … … 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.4
Current expenditure … … 77.9 75.7 82.8 86.5 88.5 90.3
Total (excluding VAT paid by local authorities) … … 3,273.2 3,156.6 3,235.5 3,378.7 3,428.3 3,365.8