To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the expenditure on the national health service in each of the years from 1978–79 to date; what allocations have been made in those years to the Barking, Havering and Brentwood health authority; and what variations respectively these represent in relation to the increases in national expenditure.

The table shows changes in gross NHS expenditure in England and in expenditure—as far as it can be identified—in the area covered by Barking, Havering and Brentwood health authority. The latter figures include all revenue and capital expenditure by the district health authority; the cost of capital schemes within the district borne by the North East Thames regional health authority; and expenditure on family health services, which is not strictly attributable to particular districts. Revenue expenditure incurred by North East Thames for the region as a whole and expenditure met nationally by the Department of Health and organisations providing central services to the NHS are excluded.Capital expenditure for particular localities tends to vary year on year, mostly reflecting changes in the pattern of capital investment throughout the country—for example, in the case of Barking, Havering and Brentwood, completion of the redevelopment of Harold Wood hospital in 1987–88, and the construction of a school of nursing and an extension at High Wood hospital in 1988–89.