§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what was the number of part III residential places per 1,000 population aged 65 years or over in each local authority area in 1979 on the latest date for which information is available;
(2) what was the number of beds in voluntary or private homes per 1,000 population aged 65 years or over in each local authority area in 1979 on the latest year for which the information is available.
§ Sir George YoungThis information is not available centrally in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of National Health Service geriatric beds per 1,000 population aged 65 years or over in each area health authority for 1979 or the latest year for which information is available.
§ Sir George YoungI refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, East (Mr. Thomas) on 27 November 1979, which gave information for 1978, the latest available.—[Vol. 974, c.593–6.]
425W
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate has been made of the growth in demand for health care as a result of increasing numbers of elderly people.
§ Sir George YoungTo maintain the present level of spending—at constant prices—per head of population aged 65 years and over, it is estimated that health expenditure would need to grow at about 1 per cent. per annum on average over the next 10 years, though the growth for individual years would range from virtually nil to almost 2 per cent.