This speech was fully prepared, but unfortunately not delivered, as Sharon was not called by the Speaker in the debating chamber of the House of Commons due to time constraints. But this is what Sharon would have said.

I know that all honourable members present here today are fully familiar with the problems in working to combat health inequalities which metropolitan authorities are facing. These problems are arising from the continued double damping of the funding formula. I, like others present here today, had hoped that the government’s recognition that the funding formula’s inadequacies are contributing to increasing health inequalities across the UK would have been the first step on the road to achieving fair and adequate budgets for local government. So far it has not had the impact that we all hoped for.

I want to give a regional perspective to this debate and outline how the situation in public health not only across my constituency but across the whole of Tyne and Wear does not paint the prettiest of pictures.

Public Service staff within the region, both in management and front line services, do a tremendous job. It is the job of government to give them the best support we can.

I am proud of Labour’s continued improvements in funding across health and social services. The introduction of the smoking ban, the success of the five a day campaign and improvements in the quality of school meals all add up to show this governments strong and continuing commitment to public health in Britain. We now have over 32,000 more doctors and 85,000 more nurses. Waiting times for operations are shorter than ever and screening projects are becoming more and more effective.

I do not believe that we would have seen anything like the same degree of financial support or policy commitment under a Conservative government.

Despite this I am also fully supportive of the aims of SIGOMA as they seek to ensure that inappropriate funding of both PCTs and Social care services does not lead to unnecessary pressure on decision makers to try and pass the buck on service delivery responsibilities. It is vital that we seek a solution, hopefully within the Comprehensive Spending Review which does not allow this situation to continue. PCTs and Social services must all receive adequate funding which reflects the level of the public health challenges which they face.

As has already been spelt out many times before it is clear that some of the poorest areas in Britain are losing out on vital funding in order to subsidise some of the most affluent.

All of the local authorities in Tyne and Wear are in the top 2 fifths of the most deprived areas of the UK. Both Gateshead and Sunderland councils cover my constituency and both of those are in the top fifth of deprived areas in the UK.

I know from talking to staff at Gateshead Queen Elizabeth Hospital and also at the Sunderland Royal hospital that they are doing all they can to address the health inequalities which affect my constituency so badly.

In the Sunderland metropolitan area life expectancy is 18 months below the national average. Death rates from smoking, heart disease, strokes and cancer are all above the national average. The mortality rate for cancer is 136 per hundred thousand compared to a national average of 119 Almost a third of children are dependent on means tested benefits. Compare this with a wealthy London Borough such as Kensington and Chelsea where cancer mortality rates are only 81 per hundred thousand.

In Gateshead life expectancy is almost two years below the national average. Again deaths from smoking, heart disease, strokes and cancer are all above the national average. In fact, mortality rates for heart disease and strokes are at 110 per hundred thousand compared to a national average of 90.

The statistics create a compelling argument which I hope we cannot continue to ignore.

It is a common sense recognition that the more we can prevent killer diseases through medical progress and lifestyle change the more savings we can make on health budgets.

Progress on this will only be achieved by PCTs and social care services working closely together to educate the public. Therefore it becomes even more vital that we do not push these two services into a battle for funding whereby gains for one will only lead to losses for another.

In Sunderland alcohol related hospital admissions are at 523 per hundred thousand compared to a national average of 247. Many of these admissions involve young people and binge drinking. The continued damping of funding for children and young adults within the overall damping structure also has a knock on effect for health inequalities and further compounds the argument for re addressing the funding formula.

In 2006/2007 Sunderland Council received a grant settlement of £139.1million which was set at the funding floor a 2% increase.

If the floor within the Children’s and Younger Adults element of the formula had not been operated the Council would have received £1.1m extra which would have resulted in a total grant of £140.2 million equivalent to a 2.6% increase.

In 2007/08 the Council would have received £1.9m extra which would have resulted in a total grant of £143.2 million equivalent to a 4.1% increase.

We need to give our councils and PCTs the support which they deserve in order to send out the right message to our young people and protect the long term health of all our people.

It is clear that wealthy areas, particularly some London boroughs, do not need the double layered protection which exists within the current formula. If overall funding is secured then why do the same protections need to be offered on specific spending areas?

This double damping is continuing to have a detrimental effect for constituencies like mine and I see no reason why my constituents should continue to subsidise those who are better off than them.

Sigoma councils are losing a growing amount of money year on year and I hope that the forthcoming comprehensive spending review will rectify this. Councils within the SIGOMA group saw a loss of £38.9 Million in funding in the financial year from 2006-2007 and are estimated to lose out on a further £71.2 million this year.

The Government has, thanks to the work of many members here today, recognised that there is a problem. It is not unsurmountable. Although under the previous Prime Minister some steps were taken to address the current inequalities in funding I hope that under our new Prime Minister we can iron out the remaining discrepancies and find a formula which begins to tackle the ongoing unnecessary existence of regional health inequalities.

No doubt many, if not most, decisions regarding the spending review will have been taken but we cannot rest on our laurels and I know that for many honourable members, including myself, it will remain a priority to secure a fair deal for local government.

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Sharon Hodgson MP
House of Commons,
London SW1A 0AA

E-mail: hodgsons@parliament.uk

Constituency Office Tel. 0191 469 7844