HC Deb 29 March 1976 vol 908 cc405-6W
Sir George Young

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of gross national product is spent on health care in the United Kingdom, compared with similar percentages for other countries in the EEC.

Dr. Owen

Expenditure on health care is not recorded on a strictly comparable basis in the national accounts of the various EEC countries and there are widely varying definitions of "health care". There are therefore serious difficulties in expressing such expenditure as negotiated in some cases. I shall write to my hon. Friend with details.