asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the progress towards implementation of the Resource Allocation Working Party report in the South-East Thames region.

Some progress has been made in the reallocation of resources in the region but problems have also been encountered and I shall not be satisfied until they are solved. I have set up a national Advisory Group on Resource Allocation to advise me on any modification which can with advantage be made to the formula recommended by the Resource Allocation Working Party in its 1976 report "Sharing Resources for Health in England". Concurrently a joint working group of representatives of my Department and the four Thames regions is considering the steps necessary to establish a uniform approach to the calculation of area and district target allocations in those regions.So far as the South-East Thames region is concerned, I would refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend's reply on 26 January.—[Vol. 961, c.