§ Mr. Squireasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what public expenditure provision will be made for the National Health Service in 1984–85; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FowlerPlanned public expenditure on the health and personal social services for 1984–85 is £15,414 million as announced earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
We will be maintaining our planned total expenditure on the NHS in England at the level given in Cmnd. 8789 for 1984–85, an increase ofover£650 million on expected spending this year. Next year we are planning to increase hospital and community health services current public expenditure by some £400 million overthis year's level to£8.97 billion. NHS Capital expenditure is planned to increase by some £50 million to £0.76 billion and Family Practitioner Services' current expenditure by some £190 million to £2.86 billion. Centrally financed current spending in 1984–85 will be broadly as planned in Cmnd. 8789. These increased
574WNon-dependants
Deductions are made from housing benefit if there is an adult non-dependant—for example a grown up son or daughter — in the household. Similar deductions are made from supplementary benefit for owner occupiers receiving help with mortgage interest. This is to take account of the fact that the non-dependant is expected to contribute to the housing expenses of the household. At the same time, non-dependants aged 18 or more who are themselves on supplementary benefit get a standard amount in their benefit ("the non-householder's contribution", set at the rate of the non-dependent deductions for supplementary benefit claimants: currently £3.10) so that they can make a contribution.
The non-householder's contribution will be withdrawn from supplementary benefit claimants age 18–20. However the poorest families will be protected because the equivalent deduction from the householder's housing benefit or supplementary benefit will no longer be applied. A number of changes will also be made in the structure and rates of non-dependent deductions:
resources should provide scope for real growth in resources of over 1 percent. for the NHS on the basis of the Government's pay and price projections for next year.