HC Deb 16 February 1988 vol 127 c565W
Dr. Moonie

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy to allocate sufficient resources to health authorities in 1988–89 to meet the needs for services of elderly, mentally ill and mentally handicapped people, without reducing the level of acute services.

Mr. Newton

It is for regional and district health authorities to provide for the health care needs of the elderly, mentally ill and mentally handicapped, after taking account of other priorities, from within their total resources. The national resource allocation formula allows for the numbers of elderly people, mentally ill and mentally handicapped in regionally managed populations in arriving at target allocations.