§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the health regions in rank order according to the percentage amount by which each is above or below the resources allocation working party formula level; if he will give the manpower cuts, in terms of numbers and percentages, that he has agreed with each region; and if he will give the total number of present and planned jobs to be lost in each region by including cuts in new jobs planned for future developments.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe following tables give the information requested on RAWP targets and the manpower targets which have been settled with regions. Information on possible job losses in each region is not readily available centrally and, in any event, the only
Regional Health Authority Manpower Baselines and Targets Region Staff in Post 31 March 1983 Target for 31 March 1984 Change between 1983 and 1984 Whole time Equivalent Percentage Northern 54,100 53,914 -186 -0.34 Yorkshire 61,855 61,591 -264 -0.43 Trent 74,009 74,529 +520 -0.70 East Anglian 29,861 30,235 +374 +1.25 North West Thames 59,626 58,626 -1,000 -1.68 North East Thames 73,749 72,549 -1,200 -1.63 South East Thames 66,364 65,283 -1,081 -1.63 South West Thames 50,139 49,409 -730 -1.46 Wessex 43,875 43,915 +40 +0.09 Oxford 34,047 34,276 +229 +0.67 South Western 53,047 52,923 -124 -0.23 West Midlands 84,050 83,910 -140 -0.17 Mersey 44,844 44,338 -506 -1.13 North Western 76,160 75,598 -562 -0.74 Special Health Authorities/Boards of Governors 11,907 11,700 -207 -1.74 Total 817,633 812,796 -4,837 -0.59
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, if he will list the health districts in the West Midlands region according to the percentage amount each is below the resources allocation working party formula level; if he will give the manpower cuts, in terms of numbers and percentages, that have so far been requested for each district by the region; and if he will differentiate between cuts in existing jobs and those in planned ones.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeResource allocation to districts and the setting of manpower targets within the region is the responsibility of the West Midlands regional health authority and the right hon. Member may like to seek this information from that authority.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many health regions and districts the imposition of manpower cuts will lead to the region or district spending more money than it otherwise would have done.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeNone.
440Wplanned posts that will not be filled in new developments will be those that have been identified as unnecessary in an efficient unit.
RHAs Distance from RAWP Target Region Distance from* RAWP Target 1983–84 per cent. North West Thames +10.7 North East Thames +8.7 South West Thames +6.4 South East Thames +6.0 Oxford 0.0 Mersey -1.5 Northern -3.7 West Midlands -3.8 North Western -4.0 Yorkshire -4.3 South Western -4.3 Wessex -4.9 Trent -5.0 East Anglia -6.4 * Post — allocation distance from target as a percentage of allocation excluding the service increment for teaching.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many health districts are expected to be in surplus at the end of the financial year; and in how many cases this is because they are unable to spend surplus money as they wished because of recently announced manpower cuts.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe Department sets cash limits for regional health authorities and they in turn set cash limits for health districts. It is for regional health authorities to monitor the cash limit performance of health districts. The Department does not as a matter of course have details of health districts' spending.
If a district health authority seems likely to underspend it can carry forward up to 1 per cent. of that underspend to future years or notify the regional health authority who can switch it to an authority able to spend it. I hope that no authority would wish to hire additional staff just to avoid underspend.
441W
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many districts have reported to him that services to patients will be affected as a consequence of the manpower cuts; and if he will request all districts to report the effects of the cuts on patient services.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeA large volume of correspondence has been received about the recent manpower targets making a wide range of points. All are being carefully noted but it would be impracticable to make a detailed analysis of all the points made. The targets were settled by the Government in the light of the regions' development programmes and bearing in mind the reasonable possibilities of achieving more efficient use of manpower. In my opinion, there is no reason why those targets should have any adverse effects on patient services anywhere.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what complaints he has received from regions, districts, trade unions, organisations or individuals that the imposition of manpower cuts will lead to a district health authority spending more money than it otherwise would; and what reasons have been put forward for this happening.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeA large volume of correspondence has been received on NHS manpower targets, covering a wide range of points. Analysis of particular items raised in the correspondence could only be undertaken at a disproportionate cost. In my opinion, there is no reason why those targets should involve any district health authority in spending more money than it otherwise would.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what criteria were used in deciding the manpower cuts that should be imposed on each health region.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeRegions' targets took account of the resource position of each region, of additional staff required for planned and funded new developments, and of reasonable expectations of greater efficiency that could be achieved in the use of manpower.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to monitor the distribution of manpower cuts imposed by regional health authorities on district health authorities.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeNone. Each region has been set a target and it is for regional health authorities to decide how to allocate this target within their region. However, manpower will be a major item on the agenda of the 1984 regional reviews, as it was in 1983, and for this purpose regions will need to satisfy Ministers about the effectiveness of their policy on manpower targets and explain its effects.