HC Deb 18 January 1984 vol 52 cc250-1W
Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when health authorities will be notified of their revenue and capital allocations for 1984–85.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

My right hon. Friend announced the distribution of additional resources to regional health authorities in England for 1984–85 on 9 January. The revenue allocations provide scope for real growth of some 1 per cent. and the capital allocations provide scope for real growth of some 2 per cent. Together with these extra resources, the cost improvement programmes we are asking for will enable the service not only to meet the growing pressures on it but also to release resources for new developments. Health authorities should be able to take up new medical advances and continue to improve, for instance, services for the mentally ill and handicapped and for renal failure and hip replacement.

The distribution of resources to regions reflects our commitment to making improvements where they are most needed. Priority regions, including those with fast-growing populations, are getting increases of up to 1.9 per cent. in resources. We are looking to the Thames regions to develop their services by good management and cost improvement of their services within the high levels of finance which they enjoy, but we are not requiring them to reduce resources in 1984–85.

Regional health authorities have been informed of their revenue and capital allocations for 1984–85. These are subject to Parliamentary approval of the Departmental estimates. Details are given in the following table.

Regional Health Authority Revenue allocation excluding joint finance Capital allocation excluding joint finance
£ millions Percentage Growth £ millions Percentage Share*
1. Northern 574.0 1.4 36.7 5.8
2. Yorkshire 642.3 1.3 48.9 8.3
3. Trent 778.6 1.6 53.4 8.7
4. East Anglian 326.2 1.9 20.2 3.5
5. North-West Thames 676.2 0.0 38.7 5.9
6. North-East Thames 855.5 0.0 45.6 6.9
7. South-East Thames 745.5 0.0 43.1 6.9
8. South-West Thames 569.7 0.0 31.7 5.2
9. Wessex 464.1 1.8 54.5 8.3
10. Oxford 367.6 1.7 25.6 3.9
11. South-Western 561.0 1.6 48.4 7.9
12. West-Midlands 888.9 1.4 79.4 13.0
13. Mersey 472.4 0.8 27.4 4.6
14. North-Western 792.5 1.3 64.9 11.1
Total 8,714.5 1.0 618.5 100.0
* The percentage share is of the RAWP formula component of the allocation.