§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the total expenditure on health services, including practice, in the United Kingdom, France and Germany, respectively;
(2) what is the expenditure on health services, corresponding to the National Health Service, in France and Germany; and whether he has available to him from international sources any comparable figure for the United States of America.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIt is not possible to make reliable international comparisons of expenditure on health services because countries organise their health systems and record health expenditure differently. With this proviso, the table below gives rough estimates of total expenditure on health in each country expressed in terms of 1979 sterling—the latest year for which figures are available—using a purchasing power parity exchange rate. This is generally accepted to be the best method of comparing expenditure in different countries, although it does not give a true indication of differences in the volume of services.
Health expenditure 1979 £ million United Kingdom 10,001 United States of America 111,075 France 16,917 West Germany 23,171 The approximate percentage of total health expenditure in each country that was financed publicly in 1980 is set out below. The information is based on a study of international health spending prepared by the OECD, which will be published shortly. None of the other countries has arrangements for the public supply or financing of health care which are directly comparable with the United Kingdom National Health Service, and the estimates therefore includes expenditure through a variety of State and State-regulated insurance systems.
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Percentage health expenditure financed publicly 1980 United Kingdom 92 United States of America 42 France 77 West Germany 78