§ Mr. RichardsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what funding he proposes to make available to the national health service in Wales in 1993–94.
§ Mr. David HuntSubject to parliamentary approval, planned provision for the NHS in Wales will increase to £1,974 million net next year. Of this sum £1,465 million is earmarked for hospital and community health services—HCHS. This includes an increase in HCHS revenue expenditure of 3.9 per cent. compared to this year—well in excess of forecast inflation.
The new money that the Government are making available will provide the NHS in Wales with a increase of 5.2 per cent. on comparable expenditure plans for last year. In addition health authorities will keep an extra £17 million generated by cash-releasing cost improvements programmes and through income generation.
Over the lifetime of this Government, the resources made available for the NHS in Wales have grown by a staggering 71 per cent. over and above general inflation. Next year NHS net expenditure will increase to £684 per year for every man, woman and child in Wales—over £2,730 for an average family of four. That is a tremendous achievement.