HC Deb 01 March 1988 vol 128 cc546-7W
Ms. Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how much money he intends to allocate in 1988–89 for the provision of care in the community, and how much is to be allocated to each(a) region and (b) district.

Mr. Newton

In the main the Department does not identify funds for specific purposes such as provision of care in the community within its overall allocations to regions or in its indicative figures for local authority social services expenditure. The allocation of resources to district health authorities is a matter for regions, and it is for regions and districts to determine, within a national framework of health care priorities, and in the light of local needs and circumstances, how all their resources can best be used. So far as local authorities are concerned, it is for them to determine the level and balance of their expenditure on the provision of social services.