HC Deb 24 January 1977 vol 924 c493W
Mr. Pavitt

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the extra money allocated to give more to the regions shown to be disadvantaged by the Resources Allocation Working Party is being used to increase services or to meet the inflationary shortfall on existing services.

Mr. Ennals

The higher than forecast increase in prices in 1976–77 has placed a constraint on health authority spending. However, there are other factors in this year's allocation which have helped to offset that variation and to preserve the capacity of these regions to increase the volume of services to patients as envisaged by the use of the interim arrangements proposed by the Resources Allocation Working Party.