§ Dr. Mawhinneyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is yet able to announce the revenue and capital allocations to regional health authorities for 1981–82.
Dr. YaughanMy right hon. Friend has determined the following allocations for regional health authorities in 1981–82:
Revenue allocations (November 1980 prices) Capital allocations (average 1980.81 prices) £ million Planned growth (per cent.) £ million Northern 448.5 2.3 37.2 Yorkshire 502.4 1.8 42.3 Trent 598.1 3.0 49.8 East Anglian 247.7 2.5 26.6 North-West Thames 585.0 0.5 28.3 North-East Thames 634.1 0.5 36.9 South-East Thames 597.7 0.5 31.7 South-West Thames 470.4 0.6 27.5 Wessex 356.3 2.1 35.9 Oxford 285.5 1.2 21.1 South-Western 436.3 2.3 32.4 West Midlands 695.0 1.7 49.7 Mersey 375.2 1.1 27.7 North-Western 619.0 2.9 64.4 These allocations, which are of course provisional pending Parliament's approval of the Department's estimates, will in due course be cash limited. My right hon. Friend is not yet in a position to announce cash limits.
The revenue allocations maintain the planned rate of growth in the National Health Service announced by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 24 November 1980 [Vol. 994, c. 315; 335-338], including the requirement that health authorities are expected to make savings of at least 0.4 per cent. through the better use of resources and increased efficiency. The distribution of the planned growth addition between Regions reflects the Government's continuing commitment to reduce the long-standing disparities in the level of NHS resources available in different parts of England. This is being achieved through a process of "levelling-up", and no regional allocation will be reduced.
These allocations also take special account of the rapid population growth due to the new town developments in the Oxford and East Anglian regions.