HC Deb 18 January 1983 vol 35 cc113-4W
26. Mr. Marlow

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has reached any conclusions in his examination of the question of the population statistics used to calculate the resource allocation working party allocations to health authorities.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

The resource allocation working party recommended that in calculating regional health authorities' target allocations, the latest available mid-year estimates of population should be used. I see no reason to depart from its recommended method of assessing the relative need of regions for funds. When allocating funds to regional health authorities each year account is certainly taken of factors, such as the growth and decline in populations in individual regions, in reaching a view on what progress is to be made towards the targets so calculated.