§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the average percentage of total budget spent by(a) district and (b) regional health authorities on (i) managerial, (ii) administrative and (iii) clerical costs in each year since 1991–92;
(2) if she will list the three regional and district health authorities which spent (a) the lowest percentage and (b) the highest of their budget on (i) managerial, (ii) administrative and (iii) clerical costs in each year since 1991–92.
§ Dr. Mawhinney[holding answer 19 May 1994]: Such comparisons cannot readily be made. The information available on regional and district health authorities' total expenditure and on staff costs is derived from two different sources and covers different territory. Information about the total budgets of health authorities is derived from annual accounts which do not include the total costs of directly managed units—DMUs—and common services, such as blood transfusion and ambulance services, which may be funded from a variety of sources. Information on staff costs is derived from the financial returns of health authorities covering all employees including those in DMUs and common services. The budgets for authorities will remain the same whether or not the authorities run DMUs or common services. When a health authority has no directly managed services it will operate with a much reduced number of employees and have a consequently lower percentage of wages as a proportion of total costs. Directly managed services are the labour-intensive part of an organisation and a health authority with a DMU or regional common services will return far higher staff costs than one without. Such organisations will have income from other health authorities and other sources in addition to its own parent authority. The salary costs of staff may therefore be met from sources other than the employing health authority. It is therefore not possible to provide meaningful information in the form requested.