§ Mr. Butterfillasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what account he proposes to take in reviewing resource allocations for the Wessex area of the proportion of elderly people in Wessex in general and East Dorset in particular, in relation to the national average, and of the continuing migration of retired people to this area; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonThe Resource Allocation Working Party (RAWP) formula, used to calculate each region's target share of the available resources, is based on each region's projected population for the year of allocation. This population is weighted to reflect the use made by different age-sex groups of different health services (and a number326W of further adjustments are then made). The existing arrangements therefore already reflect the circumstances of regions such as Wessex, with a higher than average proportion of elderly people in their populations. The recent report on the review of the RAWP formula recommends that the arrangements be further refined by the introduction of a separate age-band in the formula for people aged 85 and over.
The allocation of resources to district health authorities is a matter for regions, which are expected to follow the same principles as the national RAWP formula. My hon. Friend may like to contact the chairman of the Wessex regional health authority about resource allocations to East Dorset.