HC Deb 22 November 1976 vol 919 cc975-7W
Mr. Patrick Jenkin

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the figures in £ million for the expenditure on All Services, Hospitals-Current and Hospitals-Capital in Great Britain for the years 1974–75, 1975–76 and, estimated, 1976–77 to correspond with those figures provided for earlier years in Table 2.1, page 18 of Health and Personal Social Services Statistics for England 1975.

Mr. Ennals

The cost of all services is shown in the table below. The figures for 1975–76 are based on original and supplementary parliamentary estimates for services financed by central Government, and the latest actual expenditure information available from the local authorities. Figures for 1976–77 are based on original parliamentary estimates, and the latest available estimates for local authority services. Following the reorganisation of the health services, detailed information is no longer collected in the same format as before. The totals shown below relate to the current and capital expenditure of the health authorities. In addition to the cost of hospitals—including those administered centrally—they cover the administrative costs of the authorities themselves and of the family practitioner services, and the cost of services formerly provided by local health authorities.

£ million
Great Britain
1974–75 1975–76 1976–77
All services 4,763 6,457 6,717
Health authorities:
Current 2,758 3,800 3,906
Capital 299 380 364

Mr. Eldon Griffiths

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the sums spent by each of the regional health authorities in the financial years 1974–75 and 1975–76 under the following headings, completed removal expenses, outstanding home loans to staff, and rent compensation.

Mr. Moyle

This information is not available centrally and to obtain it would involve disproportionate administrative expense.

Mr. Hannam

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in the last year for which figures are available, what is his estimate of the amount of money paid for goods and services supplied under the Health Service Acts or Social Services Acts by (a) local authorities to other local authorities, (b) local authorities to health authorities, (c) health authorities to other health authorities and (d) health authorities to local authorities.

Mr. Moyle

In England in 1974–75, local authorities paid nearly £23 million for services provided by other local authorities, mostly residential accommodation. No financial information is available centrally about the other three categories of transactions. Certain services are provided without payment, for example services of medical staff by health authorities to social services departments and social workers vice versa.

Mr. John Moore

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the rules in the NHS regarding the use of (a) public funds and (b) trustee funds for entertainment; and how much is spent per annum by each area and each district.

Mr. Moyle

There are no specific rules regarding the use of public funds for this purpose, but expenditure is subject to the normal authorisation and accounting procedures. Discretion relating to the use of trust funds lies entirely with health authorities and Special Trustees. It is for these bodies as the trustees to consider the extent, if any, to which trust funds should be used for entertainment, having regard to the terms of trust upon which those funds are held, and the interests of the health services to which the funds relate. No information is held centrally about the amounts spent on entertainment by these bodies either from public funds or trust funds.