§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of Scotland's gross domestic product is spent on the National Health Service; and how this compares with other European Economic Community countries, Japan, Canada and the United States of America.
§ Mr. John MacKayExpenditure on the National Health Service in Scotland in 1980–81 accounted for approximately 6.8 per cent. of Scotland's gross domestic product.
Reliable comparisons of the share of national income spent on health services cannot be made because of considerable differences between the systems of health care provided and the different ways in which spending on health is shown in national accounts. Such comparisons do not take account of differences in value for money. Subject to these substantial qualifications, figures calculated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for 1980 or the nearest available year for expenditure on all health care are as follows:
Percentage Belgium 6.0 Denmark 6.7 Federal Republic of Germany 8.0 France 8.0 Greece 3.8 Ireland 8.4 Italy 6.5 Luxembourg 10.5 Netherlands 8.5 Japan 6.2 Canada 9.6 United States of America 9.6
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Perinatal, neonatal and infant deaths, Scotland, 1981 Perinatal deaths* Neonatal deaths† Infant deaths† Area and Social Class Leg. Illeg. Leg. Illeg. Leg. Illeg. Scotland—numbers I 38 2 24 1 37 2 II 110 5 68 2 104 3 III(NM) 71 28 41 3 82 6 III(M) 272 14 151 5 236 8 IV 114 41 72 15 121 18 V 59 8 35 6 62 7 N.S. — 46 1 50 3 91 All social classes 664 144 392 82 645 135 Scotland—rates I 8.0 — 5.1 — 7.8 — II 10.0 7.9 6.2 — 9.5 — III(NM) 9.4 12.8 5.5 — 10.9 2.8 These figures may be subject to further revision.