HC Deb 18 April 1989 vol 151 cc124-5W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the cash allocations to regional health authorities in 1988–89 and 1989–90 in standard prices using 1989–90 as the base; and if he will estimate the cash allocations to regions on a weighted capitation basis for 1990–91 and 1991–92 using 1989–90 as the price base, assuming the total flow of resources as per the public expenditure White Paper, assuming population forecasts as per the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, and before taking account of inter-regional direct payments;

(2) what are the actual allocations made to regional health authorities for 1988–89 and for 1989–90 both on a current and standard price basis; and, in the case of the 1989–90 cash allocations, what are their percentage distances from the 1988–89 resource allocation working party target adjusted (a) by inflation and (b) by the percentage change between 1988–89 and 1989–90 in total nominal cash resources between 1989–90.

Mr. Freeman

[holding answer 16 March 1989]: Initial allocations to regional health authorities in 1988–89 and 1989–90 at the price bases requested are shown in the following tables, together with 1989–90 allocation distances from 1988–89 RAWP targets adjusted as requested. The level of resources which will be allocated to direct payments between regions will be discussed with regional health authorities, and, until this process is complete, it is not possible to speculate about the distribution of funding in future years.

1 Initial cash limit main provision. Excludes earmarked sums, for example, supra-regional services, AIDS, breast cancer screening and additional funding for the review body pay awards.

Table B
2Distance from 1988–89 targets adjusted by:
1989–90 main service provision1 Inflation 1988–89 to 1989–903 Actual increase in cash resources between 1988–89 and 1989–90
£ million Per cent. Per cent.
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
Northern 832 +6.1 -1.58
Yorkshire 937 +6.1 -1.41
Trent 1,147 +5.2 -2.78
East Anglian 497 +3.9 -4.15
North West Thames 913 +12.4 4.27
North East Thames 1,137 +15.4 6.79
South East Thames 1,018 +9.9 1.66
South West Thames 844 +8.8 0.96
Wessex 699 +6.4 -1.82
Oxford 558 +7.2 -2.64
South Western 832 +6.9 -1.41
West Midlands 1,340 +6.2 -1.34
Mersey 664 +9.6 1.45
North Western 1,140 +6.6 -1.36
1 As column 3 of Table A.
2 Targets calculated from total resources available in 1988–89.
3 As measured by the Gross Domestic Product Deflator.