HC Deb 15 January 1985 vol 71 cc104-5W
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the increase in spending on the National Health Service in Scotland in real terms giving the percentage increase, for the period from May 1979 to date, and for each year giving the figures and the percentage increase in real terms year by year; and what are the most up-to-date plans for the future.

Mr. John MacKay

Gross expenditure on the National Health Service in Scotland from 1979 is as follows:

£ million cash
1979–80 1,053
1980–81 1,331
1981–82 1,519
1982–83 1,648
1983–84 1,758
*1984–85 1,900
* Provisional.

In cash terms, gross expenditure has increased since 1979–80 by over 80 per cent. This has enabled health services to expand by over 7 per cent. The Government's plans for public expenditure in Scotland in 1985–86, announced by my right hon. Friend on 13 December, provide for an increase of £94 million net for the NHS or about 5 per cent. more than expected expenditure in 1984–85.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will give a breakdown of the figures of the increase in resources to health boards in Scotland between 1983–84, 1984–85 and 1985–86; and if he will publish a table indicating the increases in real terms for each health board, as well as the average for the whole of Scotland.

Mr. John MacKay

My right hon. Friend announced on 13 December 1984 that cash provision for the hospital and community health services programme and associated centrally managed programmes in 1985–86 would be some £75 million higher than this year's level of expenditure. This represents an increase of 5.5 per cent., 1 per cent. more than the forecast level of inflation.

Allocations to individual health boards for 1985–86 have yet to be determined. Cash allocations to health boards for 1984–85, and the increase these represent over allocations for 1983–84, are as follows:

£000
Health boards 1984–85 recurrent expenditure allocation (net) Increase over 1983–84allocations
Cash Percentage
Argyll and Clyde 93,066 5,306 6.05
Ayrshire and Arran 63,601 4,380 7.40
Borders 18,707 1,287 7.39
Dumfries and Galloway 33,115 2,179 7.04
Fife 61,473 4,319 7.56
Forth Valley 59,986 3,870 6.90
Grampian 112,558 7,708 7.35
Greater Glasgow 343,543 18,878 5.81
Highland 47,571 2,979 6.68
Lanarkshire 104,552 6,881 7.05
Lothian 206,832 12,945 6.68
Orkney 3,412 252 7.97
Shetland 4,277 340 8.64
Tayside 121,113 6,225 5.42
Westem Isles 6,448 539 9.12
Total 1,280,254 78,088
Average 6.51

Notes:

  1. 1. The figures are for allocations to health boards for recurrent expenditure commitments. In addition, £35 million was allocated to boards for their ordinary capital programmes in 1984–85, against £32 million in 1983–84—an increase of 9.4 per cent.
  2. 2. The figures for the 1984–85 allocations differ from those which I provided for the hon. Member on 19 March 1984 because they take account of the abolition of the national insurance surcharge in the 1984 Budget, and also of a contribution from the Contingency Reserve towards the excess costs of 1984 NHS pay settlements to be met by health boards.