To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the real change in total health expenditure between 1979 and 1994; and what was the average cost of this expenditure per taxpayer over the period. [36308]

Net Government expenditure on the national health service increased by 61.1 per cent. in real terms between 1978–79 and 1993–94, or £10,977 million at 1993–94 prices. This increase is equivalent to £523 per taxpayer.