§ Mr. Irvingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the cost of administration, expressed at current prices, of the National Health Service in (a) 1974, (b) 1979 and (c) 1983 and at the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HayhoeIt is not possible to give a complete answer as there is no precise definition of "administration". The annual accounts of health authorities show revenue expenditure on headquarters adminstration, revalued to 1984–85 prices, as:
£ million 1974–75 412 1979–80 468 1983–84 435 1984–85 *445 * Provisional figure. These figures exclude general administative expenditure at operational levels. They include the expenditure of the Dental Estimates Board and the Prescription Pricing Authority. For 1983–84 and 1984–85, they also include the expenditure of certain other special health authorities established at various dates since 1980 to provide National Health Service central services. (1983–84 £0.4 million and 1984–85 £3.0 million).
§ Mr. Irvingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the cost at current prices of employing
332W(5) what was the number of hours of overtime worked in the Baskerville house, Salford, office of his Department in each of the last five years and to date in 1985;
(6) what has been the annual cost of the overtime worked in each of the last five years, and to date in 1985, in constant terms, in the Farnworth office of his Department;
(7) what has been the annual cost of the overtime worked in each of the last five years and to date in 1985 in constant terms in the Windermere road, Leigh, office of his Department;
(8) what has been the annual cost of the overtime worked in each of the last five years and to date in 1985, in constant terms, in the Baskerville house, Salford, office of his Department.
§ Mr. MajorThe following table sets out the hours worked, and the cost of such work based on 1984–85 average costs to the Department, in the four offices concerned. The latest date for which accounts are held is 22 October 1985.
The increase in h:ours worked during 1984–85 was mainly to clear outstanding work resulting from industrial action at the Department's Newcastle computer centre.
personnel under each category of staff in the National Health Service in (a) 1974, (b) 1979 and (c) 1983 and at the latest date for which figures are available.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe information is shown in the table:
333W
Salaries & Wages Expenditure £ million (at 1984–85 prices) 1974–75* 1979–80 1983–84 1984–85† (1) Regional and District Health Authorities and the Special Health Authorities for the London Postgraduate Teaching Hospitals Revenue Expenditure Medical 639 731 862 884 Dental 34 40 46 47 Nurses & midwives 2,380 2,519 2,957 3,034 Professional & technical 427 524 612 647 Opticians 4 2 1 1 Pharmacists 29 35 36 37 Administrative & clerical 640 712 742 746 Ancillary staff 1,356 1,099 1,015 836 Maintenance staff 188 182 175 Ambulance staff 148 168 176 179 Non-NHS staff (agency staff etc) 81 84 62 79 Chairman's remuneration — — 2 2 Total 5,738 6,102 6,703 6,778 Capital Expenditure
1974–75* 1979–80 1983–84 1984–85† Salaries and wages, etc of staff of professional and technical departments charged to capital account 35 30 33 32 Total (Revenue and Capital) 5,773 6,132 6,736 6,810 (2) Dental Estimates Board and Special Health Authorities providing National Health Service Central Services Staff of the Dental Estimates Board and Prescription Pricing Authority (mainly administrative & clerical) 21 22 22 23 Staff of other special health authorities (various) — — 2 5 Total 21 22 24 28 (3) Total 5,794 6,154 6,760 6,838 * Figures partly estimated because of incomplete returns by authorities. † Provisional figures. NOTE
The figures are derived from the annual accounts of health authorities in England. They exclude payments to doctors, pharmacists, dentists, opticians and others providing family practitioner services. A detailed breakdown of staff employed by the Dental Estimates Board and special health authorities providing NHS central services is not readily available.