7. GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Is it correct that there is a $156 million gap between the amount the Ministry of Health has advised was necessary to meet population and demographic growth in Vote Health for 2011/12 and the amount of new spending allocated for Vote Health in the 2011 Budget?
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) Link to this
It is correct, as the Ministry of Health advised, that to meet costs and demographic pressure the Health vote would need $576 million to be available. As my Budget press statement of 19 May said—and I have made it clear at every opportunity—funding of $585 million was made available, which was made up of $420 million of new money and $165 million of reprioritised, unallocated, and unspent money.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. We have taken your advice very carefully about the framing of questions that are straightforward and that ask for a specific answer. We know that normally you do not insist on a yes or no answer. In this particular case, I cannot tell from the answer the Minister gave whether he was affirming what was said in the question or denying it. I am not sure what we can do.
Mr SPEAKERThe member is better than that. The Minister must correct me if I am wrong here, but I heard the Minister say that the answer was essentially yes. If I am wrong on that, then the Minister had better correct it.
In light of that answer, why did he state in his media release dated 19 May that an additional $585 million had been allocated for Vote Health when in fact $165 million of that was not additional funding but recycled money from the rest of the health budget?
Because that money is available for new initiatives. I cannot understand the issue. It is quite clearly set out in the press statement of 19 May.
Dr Paul Hutchison Link to this
What is the total amount of new resource that has been invested in Vote Health over the last 3 years?
Despite the world’s worst economic recession in 70 years and the enormous effects of the Christchurch earthquakes, this Government has invested over $1.5 billion of new money into health. This has been part of the reason why the Government has been able to lift elective surgery to record levels, speed up access to cancer treatment, reduce waiting times at emergency departments, and lift immunisation rates for 2-year-olds to record levels.
What reasons does he have to disagree with the Whanganui District Health Board chair, Kate Joblin, when she told the Wanganui Chronicle after the Budget that “We will receive a small increase of funding over the previous year, but this is unlikely to keep pace with [inflation].”?
I have not seen that quote, but I know that in the last three Budgets the Whanganui District Health Board has increased its funding by $20 million. The board is providing more elective surgery, better treatment for its patients, better immunisation, and is delivering results for the people of Whanganui.
What specific programmes will be discontinued as a result of the reduction in funding of $38.1 million for public health purchasing that was announced in the Budget?
In respect of the public health’s $38 million, more than half of those savings come from water subsidy decisions announced earlier this year, but there have been savings. There have been savings in advertising from the merger of the Auckland city councils, from shifting vaccine procurement to Pharmac, and from the low uptake of some vaccines. We are on track to spending $449 million on public health this year, and we are budgeting to spend $453 million on public health next year.