asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will introduce legislation to remove the statutory demands made by the health boards on local authorities who are being forced to make payments to this agency which are greater than the revenue increases allowed by the Department of the Environment.
Written Answers. - Health Board Payments.
638.
Under Government decisions taken in connection with the 1982 Estimates local authorities' annual contributions to expenditure by health boards on supplementary welfare allowances may no longer increase at a rate greater than the increases in income allowed to those authorities by the Minister for the Environment. The total amount payable in 1982 was accordingly limited to £11.55 million, an increase of 18 per cent over that in the previous year, corresponding to the increase in rates income with an allowance for buoyancy. With regard to 1983, the matter is still under consideration and final decisions have not therefore yet been taken.
The arrangements for financing in this area have proved unsatisfactory and they are being reviewed with a view to devising more satisfactory arrangements for the future.