Oral Answers to Questions

Peter Bone Excerpts

Tuesday 7th September 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Lansley]

Once again, the right hon. Gentleman should remember what he did before the election. A press release from his Department on 18 December 2009, when he was Secretary of State, said that he would establish a new 111 national number for non-emergency health care, and that this could become the single number to access non-emergency care services, including NHS Direct. I did not announce anything: I simply said that we were going to get on with that—he never did.

[Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con)]

4. What plans he has for the future of the national capitation formula.

[The Minister of State, Department of Health (Mr Simon Burns)]

Revenue allocations post 2010-11 will be set following the spending review. From 2013-14, the NHS Commissioning Board will allocate the majority of NHS resources to GP consortiums on the basis of seeking to secure equivalent access to NHS services relative to the burden of disease and disability. Public health resources will be separately allocated to reflect relative population health need and to seek to reduce health inequalities.

[Mr Bone]

Under the Labour Government, Northamptonshire was the worst funded primary care trust in the country. That was because the Government never met the national capitation formula in full, denying Wellingborough a hospital, for instance. Will the Minister’s new proposals be fairer and encourage my constituents in the belief that they will get a better deal?

[Mr Burns]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that question, because he is right—under the Labour Government, Northamptonshire Teaching PCT was underfunded and is currently receiving 1.4% below its target allocation. That is why my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I are seeking, under the vision outlined in the White Paper, to free the NHS from day-to-day political interference so that the allocation of resources will be the responsibility of the NHS Commissioning Board which can seek to address the problems highlighted by my hon. Friend.