§ Mr. RiddickTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the United Kingdom's gross domestic product was devoted to health in (a) 1979, (b) 1990 and (c) the latest year for which figures are available. [14239]
§ Mr. HoramThe information requested is contained in the table.
Year United Kingdom gross national health service expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product 1979–80 4.7 1990–91 5.2 1995–96 5.8 1. Gross domestic product adjusted to remove the distortion caused by the abolition of domestic rates.
2. UK NHS expenditure figures include figures for Northern Ireland which are estimates due to the fact that Northern Ireland's health services and personal social services are provided on an integrated basis.