§ Mr. Patrick Jenkinasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why the public expenditure White Paper, Command Paper No. 7049, fails to provide for more and better social services through use of the North Sea Oil revenues as suggested in the Governments White Paper "The Challenge of North Sea Oil", Command Paper No. 7143.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe policy reflected in the Government's White Paper "The Challenge of North Sea Oil" (Cmnd. 7143) is not to earmark oil revenues for specific projects but to use them to build a strong and growing economy. The public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 7049) confirms the Government's intention to improve and expand the provision of public services in line with economic growth but makes clear that faster growth 195W cannot be assumed in advance as a basis for planning public expenditure. Nevertheless, the expenditure plans in Cmnd. 7049 provide for some increase and improvement in health and personal social services, particularly in 1981–82, and for a continuing real improvement in the value of retirement pensions and other social security benefits. These plans will be reviewed this year in the light of the latest forecasts of economic growth. Meanwhile, as my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Budget Statement on 11th April, an additional £50 million has been provided for the Health Service in 1978–79 and the increases in child benefit will add £165 million in this financial year and over £500 million in subsequent years.