asked the Minister for Health if he will state (a) the total amount provided in the Estimate for his Department for the year 1956-57, and the actual expenditure from the Vote and (b) under what heads and how, savings, if any, were secured.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Estimate and Expenditure.
The gross amount provided in the Estimate for my Department for the year 1956-57, including the £10 token Estimate for Voluntary Health Insurance taken in March last, was £9,473,300.
It is not yet possible to state the actual expenditure as the account for the year is not yet closed but it is estimated that there will be a saving of the order of £535,000. Of this £500,000 occurs on the sub-head for grants to the Hospitals' Trust Fund and most of the balance on the sub-head for grants to health authorities. These savings arose mainly out of the decision taken last year to achieve economies in public expenditure.