§ Mr. Arthur Bottomleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much progress the Northern region of the National Health Service has made towards its target since the acceptance of the report of the Resources Allocation Working Party; how much progress has each area in the Northern region made towards its target; and, in Cleveland, how much progress has each district made towards its target.
§ Mr. MoyleHealth authorities' targets as defined by the Resource Allocation Working Party are recalculated year by year on the basis of up-to-date statistical information and the total level of resources available nationally. Over the two years since the working party reported, calculations indicate that from a position of some 11½ per cent. away from target, the Northern region's allocation is now just over 8 per cent. away from target. The working party explained that the impact of a number of unquantified factors would need to be borne in mind each year when decisions were taken whether and how far allocations should move towards target. Hence, progress cannot be uniform and comparisons need to take account of these influences.
Below regional level, the calculation of, and the weight to be given to, targets present, as the working party recognised, additional difficulty. Regional health authorities have sought each year to adopt the best method of calculation available to them. Because of changes of method from year to year, a direct comparison of distances from target of areas and districts in the Northern region would not be soundly based. This year's allocations to area health authorities in the region represent the following proportions of 725W their targets as calculated by the regional health authority:
Per cent. Cleveland AHA 89.48 Cumbria AHA 94.65 Durham AHA 92.92 Northumberland AHA 88.87 Gateshead AHA 93.64 Newcastle AHA (T) 93.58 North Tyneside AHA 88.92 South Tyneside AHA 91.32 Sunderland AHA 92.61