§ Mr. Tim Rentonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make an examination of the growth in administrative costs in the National Health Service, both absolutely and expressed as a percentage of total National Health Service spending; and whether he will then make a statement.
§ Mr. EnnalsData prior to 1974–75 are not strictly comparable with later information because of NHS reorganisation and changes in the accounting system. In 1974–75 the proportion of Health Service expenditure attributable to headquarters administration in England was 3.85 per cent.—£128.8 million out of £3,342.4 million. The proportion increased to 4.36 per cent. in 1976–77 but then reduced to 4.24 per cent. in 1977–78—£229.2 million out of £5,405.1 million—since much of this expenditure comes within the review of management costs to which I referred in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Tottenham (Mr. Atkinson) on 6 March.