HC Deb 19 May 1982 vol 24 cc116-9W
Mr. McQuarrie

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list in the Official Report the names of the chairmen of all the health boards in Scotland; how long they have (a) served on the health board and (b) how long they have served in the capacity of chairman;

(2) if he will list in the Official Report the period of tenure remaining for each of the present chairmen of the Scottish health boards.

Mr. John MacKay

The information requested is as follows:

Health Board Chairman First appointed to Health Board Date of appointment as chairman Date of termination of present appointment
Greater Glasgow Sir Simpson Stevenson 1973 1 April 1973 31 March 1983
Highland Colonel A. M. Gilmour 1973 1 April 1981 31 March 1983
Lanarkshire Mrs. B. M. Gunn 1973 1 April 1981 31 March 1985
Lothian Mr. R. A. H. Ironside 1973 1 April 1981 31 March 1983
Orkney Mr. J. Flett 1973 1 April 1979 31 March 1983
Shetland Mr. R. Adair 1973 1 April 1973 31 March 1985
Tayside Mr. J. Knox 1973 1 April 1977 31 March 1983
Western Isles Mrs. M. A. Macmillan 1973 10 August 1979 31 March 1983

Mr. McQuarrie

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what organisations and trade unions were consulted by him before he made the recent appointment of a new chairman to the Grampian health board; what was the nature of the inquiry to these organisations; and on what date the inquiries were sent to the organisations that were consulted.

Mr. John MacKay

No separate formal consultations take place before the appointment of chairmen of health boards: but as I indicated in my reply of 4 May,—[Vol. 23, c.43–4]—chairmen are normally chosen by my right hon. Friend from among existing members whose appointments to the board follow extensive consultations with a large variety of representative and other bodies.

Mr. McQuarrie

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the amount of public funds which were allocated to the Scottish health boards and give individual figures for each board for the years 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and the latest figure for 1982.

Mr. John MacKay

The information requested is as follows, by financial years from 1978. The figures are for allocations of funds to meet the boards' recurrent expenditure commitments and locally managed capital programmes. Major building projects are financed directly by the Scottish Home and Health Department.

Annual Rate
Health Board From 1.1.78 From 1.1.79 From 1.4.80 From 1.4.81
£ £ £ £
Greater Glasgow 4,685 6,490 8,487.50 9,083
Lothian 4,135 5,747.50 7,517.50 8,043
Grampian 3,585 5,005 6,547.50 7,005
Tayside 3,585 5,005 6,547.50 7,005
Lanarkshire 3,035 4,265 5,577.50 5,968
Argyll and Clyde 3,035 4,265 5,577.50 5,968
Ayrshire and Arran 2,485 3,522.50 4,607.50 4,930
Fife 2,485 3,522.50 4,607.50 4,930
Forth Valley 2,485 3,522.50 4,607.50 4,930
Highland 2,485 3,522.50 4,607.50 4,930
Borders 1,935 2,780 3,637.50 3,893
Dumfries and Galloway 1,935 2,780 3,637.50 3,893
Orkney 1,215 1,706 2,231 2,387
Shetland 1,215 1,706 2,231 2,387
Western Isles 1,215 1,706 2,231 2,387

Mr. McQuarrie

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what methods are adopted by Scottish health

£000 (at outturn prices)
Health Boards 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 *1982–83
Argyll and Clyde 47,743 54,936 69,759 79,487 85,459
Ayrshire and Arran 28,076 31,898 44,576 51,453 56,985
Borders 9,357 10,416 13,606 15,466 16,902
Dumfries and Galloway 16,029 19,364 25,629 28,036 29,994
Fife 29,665 34,564 44,471 51,135 55,502
Forth Valley 29,367 34,224 45,600 50,478 54,412
Grampian 55,793 64,633 85,296 94,855 101,436
Greater Glasgow 178,236 209,017 267,770 297,561 315,096
Highland 24,344 28,813 36,772 40,461 43,401
Lanarkshire 50,749 60,002 79,633 88,087 94,950
Lothian 104,871 122,026 158,862 176,912 189,056
Orkney 1,664 1,851 2,414 2,857 3,062
Shetland 1,892 2,761 3,074 3,518 3,815
Tayside 64,975 75,681 99,134 108,124 112,537
Western Isles 3,282 3,341 4,573 5,218 5,700
Total 646,043 753,547 981,169 1,093,647 1,168,307
* Provisional

Mr. McQuarrie

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the amounts paid to chairmen of Scottish health boards for each individual health board in the years 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and the latest figures for 1982.

Mr. John MacKay

The remuneration of chairmen of health boards is as follows:

boards to monitor the expenses, loss of earnings and other outlays by the chairmen of these boards; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John MacKay

Monitoring arrangements are matters for individual health boards. Chairmen of boards receive fixed remuneration and are not eligible for loss of earnings allowance. Rates of payment and general conditions of eligibility for travel expenses and subsistence allowances are determined centrally.

Mr. McQuarrie

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the machinery for ensuring accountability to him by Scottish health boards for the public funds which are granted annually to these boards; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John MacKay

The final allocations made to health boards for revenue and ordinary capital expenditure purposes are cash limited and may not be exceeded. Boards are required to produce accounts annually; these are inspected by the statutory auditor who reports to my right hon. Friend, and may also be inspected by the Comptroller and Auditor General. There are also direct controls on management costs, on senior medical and dental staff appointments and on major capital projects. My Department is developing measures to enable it to monitor more extensively the attainment and performance of boards while leaving them free to determine their expenditure priorities.

In a more general context, accountability for the NHS is exercised through the maintenance of a sensible balance between oversight of the service by my Department and its management under delegation by health authorities. My right hon. Friend and I and the Department are able to maintain in Scotland a range of contacts, both formal and informal, with health authorities. These allow for discussion and deliberation on all matters which affect the provision of health services and their standards, including the better use of resources, forward planning, and the more efficient delivery of services, and the achievement of value for public money spent. Nonetheless, it is for boards themselves, which have full knowledge of local circumstances, to make decisions on how to spend the funds allocated to them.