§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of the representations he has received on the means of funding of the National Health Service favoured(a) a tax-based system and (b) a system based on personal insurance.
§ Mr. NewtonA variety of different funding methods have been recommended in the representations we have received. Variations on both systems have featured in these representations, but it would not be meaningful to categorise them precisely in this way.
§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total amount of National Health Service funding what comes from direct taxation; and what percentage of the total National Health Service funding this represents, for each year from 1979.
§ Mr. Newton[holding answer 11 February 1988]: The information requested is as follows for Great Britain:
557W
From general taxation (Consolidated Fund) From National Health Service Contributions Year £ million Per cent. of total NHS funding £ million Per cent. of total NHS funding 1978–79 6,810 88.0 745 9.6 1979–80 8,071 87.9 877 9.6 1980–81 10,654 89.1 989 8.2 1981–82 11,783 87.8 1,257 9.4 1982–83 12,588 85.7 1,662 11.3 1983–84 13,325 85.8 1,708 11.0 1984–85 14,291 85.6 1,848 11.1 1985–86 15,071 85.6 1,945 11.0 1986–87 16,055 84.6 2,205 11.6 1987–88 (est) 16,841 83.1 2,676 13.2 NHS funding drawn from the Consolidated Fund is not attributable to different forms of taxation, direct or indirect.