HC Deb 21 December 1979 vol 976 cc523-4W
Mr. Kaufman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in (a) the city of Manchester and (b)

Number of waiting lists 31.12.74 31.12.75 31.12.76 31.12.77 31.12.78 31.3.79
i) City of Manchester
a) All specialties 13,155 16,086 15,096 16,141 17,034 20,985
b) Surgical specialties 12,766 15,708 14,500 15,601 16,510 20,287
ii) Greater Manchester
a) All specialties 41,797 47,517 45,634 42,824 42,598 51,521
b) Surgical specialties 40,633 46,387 44,528 41,613 41,499 50,266
Comparable figures for earlier years are not available.

Mr. Kaufman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the effect of his public expenditure cuts on (a) funds for the health service and (b) the hospital building programme in: (i) the city of Manchester and (ii) greater Manchester.

Dr. Vaughan

The Government are committed to maintaining the level of spending on health services, and the recent Public Expenditure White Paper for 1980–81 (Cmnd. 7746) maintained the planned level of spending. Allocations to regional health authorities for 1980–81 have not yet been made. If the right hon. Member wants information about allocations to particular health authorities or programmes, he may like to contact the North-Western regional health authority.

Mr. Kaufman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his assessment of the number of people in (a) the city of Manchester and (b) greater Manchester who will benefit from the Government's fuel aid scheme; and how many benefited from the electricity discount scheme.

greater Manchester are in receipt of retirement pensions.

Mr. Prentice

I regret that information about the numbers of retirement pensioners in particular areas is not kept.

Mr. Kaufman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are on (a) hospital waiting lists and (b) waiting lists for operations in: (i) the City of Manchester and (ii) greater Manchester; and what have been the corresponding figures for the corresponding dates in each of the past 10 years.

Sir George Young

The available figures are as follows:

Mrs. Chalker

In general the relationship of those benefiting from the new measures for this winter to those receiving assistance from the previous Administration's electricity discount scheme is about one to thirteen, although the scale of help is about seven times greater. Separate figures for the city of Manchester and the greater Manchester area could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.