§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure that there is consistency between the statistical information available nationally for planning both health care and social care.
§ Mr. DorrellA wide range of information supports the Department's planning, including demographic and census statistics as well as data relating to the NHS and local authority social services. The need for consistency is well established as a key consideration in the design of national collection systems. Mechanisms exist to formulate consistent central information requirements in both health and social services.