HL Deb 21 May 1997 vol 580 c8WA
Lord Jenkins of Putney

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether United Kingdom expenditure on health is half that of Germany; and whether half the annual saving from ending the Trident programme could eliminate hospital waiting lists.

Baroness Jay

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development international database shows that, in 1994, total health-care expenditure in the United Kingdom amounted to the equivalent of £790 per person, compared to £1,220 per person in Germany. Both public and private health-care expenditures are included in the figures, which are adjusted to take account of differences in purchasing power between the two countries.

The Government have made it clear that they will retain Trident.