§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services for how many years he proposes to continue the resource allocation working party process.
§ Mr. HayhoeThe Government remain fully committed to the principle of securing equal opportunity of access to health care for people in equal need. The current review of the resource allocation working party formula is examining the scope for improving the measurement of need, to ensure that as regions approach their resource allocation working party targets these targets represent relative need as fairly as possible.
The long-term resource assumptions issued to health authorities in 1983 were aimed at achieving broad equity between regions by 1993–94. (There are wider disparities between districts, which will take longer to redress). Even when broad equity between health authorities is reached, there will remain a need for some continuing redistribution of resources to take account of population movements and changes in population needs.