§ Mr. Robert HicksTo ask the Secretary of State for Health by how much expenditure on the national health service has increased in real and cash terms since May 1979 in the Cornwall health authority area and the East Cornwall overlap part of the Plymouth health area; and what are the figures when expressed as expenditure per head of population.
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§ Mr. Dorrell[holding answer 10 June 1991]: The annual accounts of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly health authority and those of its predecessor area health authority record total revenue expenditure of £29.11 million (cash) for 1978–79 and £98.58 million cash for 1989–90. Those figures represent increases of 238.7 per cent. in cash terms and 44.7 per cent. in real terms, measured at 1989–90 prices.
Expressed as average expenditure per head of resident population the figures equate to £70 (cash) per head for 1978–79 and £212 (cash) per head for 1989–90 representing cash and real-terms increases of 202.9 per cent. and 29.3 per cent., respectively.
Expenditure data for part of health districts are not collected centrally and prior to 1 April 1982 the Plymouth health authority's predecessor health district was included in the larger Devon area health authority. However, for Devon as a whole the annual accounts of the relevant health authorities record total revenue expenditure averaging £89 (cash) per head of resident population for 1978–79 and £271 (cash) for 1989–90 representing cash and real-terms increases of 204.5 per cent. and 30.3 per cent.
Figures of expenditure per head of resident population tend to vary between individual authorities reflecting patterns of local service provision and the fact that people travel across authority boundaries for treatment.