§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the General Medical Services Committee document "General Practice—a British Success"; if he is prepared to provide extra opportunities and resources to the community sector; and if he will introduce measures to redress the imbalance in growth in that sector over the past 25 years compared with the hospital sector.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe have received copies of this report which has been read with interest. Expenditure on general medical services, as for all the family practitioner services, has reflected the demand for the service and has not been constrained by cash limits. Current expenditure on the community health services provided by health authorities rose as a proportion of total current expenditure, excluding payments to contractors providing family practitioner services, from 8.4 per cent, in 1979–80 to 8.9 per cent. in 1982–83. The Government continue to attach a high priority to primary health care, and have recently made an additional £9 million specifically available to improve primary health care in inner cities.