§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the increase in expenditure on(a) health and (b) social services between 1996–97 and 1998–99. [38025]
§ Mr. Win GriffithsCentral Government's own expenditure and the hypothecated resources made available to local authorities for expenditure on health and personal social services in 1996–97 was £2,307,381,000. Planned provision in 1998–99 is £2,486,838,000. About 99% of this expenditure relates to provision for the National Health Service.
The bulk of social services expenditure by local authorities is financed by resources from the Department, which are not hypothecated to specific services, and revenue raised locally. Local authorities have not yet supplied details of their planned expenditure on services for 1998–99.