§ Mr. Fisherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of National Health Service costs are spent on administration in west midlands region.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeIt is not possible to give a precise answer to this question as "National Health Service costs" and "administration" are not capable of precise definition. The West Midlands regional health authority spends 34.68 per cent. of its revenue on headquarters administration. The district health authorities in the region spend an average 3.67 per cent. of their revenue on headquarters administration. These figures exclude general administrative expenditure at operational level and all capital expenditure.
Figures of this kind are often bandied about when commentators seek to make comparisons between administrative costs in the NHS and in overseas countries, or between regions here or between costs in the NHS now and costs in the past. In my opinion, no precise figures to make valid comparisons of this kind are readily available.