HC Deb 19 May 1988 vol 133 cc559-60W
Mr. Mullin

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects that the revision of the national resource allocation working party will be complete; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. McCrindle

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he has any plans to improve the operation of the resource allocation working party; and if he will make a statement;

(2) if he has received the report of the working party on the resource allocation working party; if he will publish the report; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Newton

The programme of analysis and research undertaken for the review of the resource allocation working party has been completed, and we are considering the resulting recommendations from the NHS Management Board. A statement will be made in due course.

Mr. McCrindle

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate for each of the years it has operated the proportion of total expenditure allocated through the resource allocation working party formula to each of the Thames health regions; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Newton

The table shows the proportion of the total revenue resources available for distribution under the terms of the resource allocation working party formula allocated to each of the Thames regional health authorities since 1977–78.

Region Total Thames Regions
Years North West Thames North Eiist Thames South East Thames South West Thames
1977–78 8.5 9.5 9.0 7.2 34.2
1978–79 8.4 9.3 8.9 7.1 33.7
1979–80 8.3 9.2 8.8 7.0 33.3
1980–81 8.3 9.2 8.7 7.0 33.2
1981–82 8.2 9.1 8.7 7.0 33.0
1982–83 8.0 9.4 8.6 6.9 32.9
1983–84 7..7 9.7 8.5 6.7 32.6
1984–85 7.7 9.5 8.5 6.6 32.3
1985–86 7.6 9.4 8.4 6.5 31.9
1986–87 7.5 9.4 8.3 6.1 31.6
1987–88 7.3 9.1 8.1 6.8 31.3
1988–89 7.3 9.1 8.1 6.7 31.2

NoteExcludes elements of funding protected from the redistributive effect of RAWP, for example, the service increment for teaching and supra-regional services funding. Similarly excludes funding directed at specific service needs: for example AIDS and breast cancer screening.

Mr. McCrindle

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to review the proportion of total expenditure provided to the Thames health regions; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Newton

We will consider the position of all regional health authorities, and the pace at which their resource allocations are brought into line with their target shares of the available resources, in updating regions' planning assumptions for 1989–90, which we hope to issue soon.

The review of the resource allocation working party formula has of course been re-examining the way in which regional targets are calculated. We shall therefore need to consider carefully, in determining regions' annual allocations in future, the pace at which we should take account of any changes which may flow from the review.