Mr. William O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria his Department applies when assessing the needs of areas of poor health; whether age is a factor; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BaldryWe have recently completed a review of the system of standard spending assessments. As part of the review we have considered the inclusion of a range of health indicators, including standard mortality ratios, taking account of variations in the age structure of the local population.
Work on the review has now finished and my right hon. Friend will announce the outcome later in the autumn as part of his proposals for revenue support grant for 1994–95.