HC Deb 02 December 1986 vol 106 cc619-21W
Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on how many occasions the resource allocation working party formula has been modified since its inception.

Mr. Newton

The national RAWP formula has been modified on three occasions:

  1. (i) in accordance with the recommendations of the Advisory Group on Resource Allocation in 1980: the main changes were recalculation of the Thames regions' resource targets to take account of labour market cost differences between the Greater London area and the rest of England; and revision of the service increment for teaching;
  2. (ii) an amendment to the capital RAWP formula, phasing out a stock equalisation element in the formula, is being introduced after consultation with regions, over seven years from 1985–86;
  3. (iii) from 1985–86, after consultation with regions, population projections have been used in place of population estimates in the revenue RAWP formula; some other technical changes were introduced at the same time.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what progress has been made regarding greater equality of resources in the National Health Service according to the resource allocation working party formula since 1979;

(2) if he will list in rank order the health regions and the district health authorities according to the percentage by which their resources are above or below those given by the resource allocation working party formula.

Mr. Newton

The following table shows each region's distance from its RAWP target share of the available resources in 1979–80 and 1986–87. Regions are shown ranked according to their 1986–87 distance from target.

Regional Health Authority Post-allocation distance from target (per cent.)
1979–80 1986–87
North West Thames +13.0 +7.6
North East Thames +11.5 +5.9
South East Thames +10.0 +3.9
South West Thames + 5.9 +1.9
Mersey -1.0 +0.1
North Western -8.8 -0.8

Regional Health Authority Post-allocation distance from target (per cent.)
1979–80 1986–87
Wessex -3.7 -1.4
Northern -7.5 -1.9
Oxford +0.6 -2.0
Yorkshire -3.7 -2.2
South Western -4.0 -2.4
Trent -7.3 -3.7
East Anglian -5.1 -3.8
West Midlands -5.8 -3.9

Comparable information cannot be supplied for district health authorities, as comprehensive information is not held centrally and regions use varying methodologies for calculating resource targets.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) which individuals, institutions and health authorities have urged changes in the resource allocation working party formula and its implications; and if he will categorise them according to whether they urged quicker or slower progress towards equality in resource distribution;

(2) if he will detail the way in which the resource allocation working party formula and process has been reviewed by the Health Service Management Board; from which people and institutions evidence was obtained; what measures of patient care were considered; and when he will announce the results of the review.

Mr. Newton

The National Health Service management board is being assisted in its review of the resource allocation working party formula by a steering group and a technical group, both with members drawn from health authorities and the DHSS. A list of respondents to the review's formal consultation is as follows. Ministers take decisions each year on the pace of movement towards each region's target share of the available resources; this is not determined by the formula and is therefore not within the remit of the review.

My right hon. Friend hopes to make an announcement shortly about progress with the review to date.

  • Northern RHA
  • Yorkshire RHA
  • Trent RHA
  • East Anglian RHA
  • North West Thames RHA
  • North East Thames RHA
  • South East Thames RHA
  • South West Thames RHA
  • Wessex RHA
  • Oxford RHA
  • South Western RHA
  • West Midlands RHA
  • Mersey RHA
  • North Western RHA
  • The Regional Medical Officers
  • The National Association of Health Authorities in England and Wales (NAHA)
  • The Community Medicine Consultative Committee
  • The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFM)
  • The Institute of Health Service Management
  • The Joint Consultants Committee (JCC)
  • The Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
  • The Royal College of Midwives (RCM)
  • The Health Visitors Association (HVA)
  • The British Dental Association (BDA)
  • The Guild of Hospital Pharmacists
  • The Society of Chiropodists
  • The British Medical Association
  • General Medical Service Committee (GMSC)
    • 621
  • The Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA)
  • The Trades Union Congress
  • The National and Local Government Officers Association
  • The British Paediatric Association
  • The Royal College of Physicians
  • The Royal College of Radiologists
  • The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
  • The Royal College of Surgeons
  • The Royal College of Psychiatrists
  • The Royal College of Pathologists
  • The Royal College of General Practitioners
  • The Association of Metropolitan Authorities (AMA)
  • The Association of County Councils (ACC)
  • Caradon District Council
  • North Cornwall District Council
  • Borough of Restormel
  • Carrick District Council
  • The University Grants Committee
  • The University of London
  • The University of Leicester
  • The University of Oxford
  • The Queen's University of Belfast
  • The University of Surrey
  • The Committee of Vice-Chancellors & Principals
  • The University Hospitals Association
  • Federation of Associations of Clinical Professors
  • The Association of University Teachers of Psychiatry
  • The Conference of Metropolitan Deans
  • The Dental Education Advisory Council
  • The Supra-Regional Services Advisory Group
  • The United Medical and Dental Schools of Guys and St. Thomas' Hospital
  • The Medical Research Council
  • King Edward's Hospital Fund
  • Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte's Special Health Authority
  • The London Postgraduate Special Health Authorities
  • Bolton DHA
  • Wandsworth DHA
  • West Lambeth DHA
  • Paddington & N Kensington DHA
  • Airedale DHA
  • Tower Hamlets DHA
  • SE Kent DHA
  • Frenchay DHA
  • N W Surrey DHA
  • Lewisham & N Southwark DHA
  • East Sussex Joint Consultative Committee
  • The Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales
  • Haringey CHC
  • North Derbyshire CHC
  • Riverside CHC
  • Mid Essex CHC
  • Eastbourne CHC
  • Bexley CHC
  • Portsmouth and SE Hants CHC
  • Medway CHC
  • South Gwent CHC

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