asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the percentage of gross national product spent on the National Health Service in each of the last four years for which figures are available; and what percentage of all public expenditure each figure represents.

The percentage of gross national product spent on the NHS for each of the years 1978 to 1981 is as follows. Figures for public expenditure are not available on a calendar year basis so for comparison with these GNP shares, NHS expenditure is also expressed as a percentage of general Government expenditure, as defined in the Central Statistical Office's "National Income and Expenditure".