King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKing Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 14 May 2014. Volume:698;Page:17825. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]7.Hon ANNETTE KING (Labour—Rongotai) to theMinister of Health: Will the total allocated funding for Vote Health in Budget 2014 be sufficient to keep pace with population growth ageing and increased costs?Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health): The member will have to wait until tomorrow but what I can tell the member is that the appropriation for health has gone up an average of $500 million a year under this Government which stands in huge contrast to yesterday’s Australian Budget which is taking about $10 billion out of Vote Health there over the next 4 years.Hon Annette King: Was the Ministry of Health estimate of the shortfall in funding in the health sector operating allowance $376 million in Budget 2012 and $343 million in Budget 2013; if not what was the stated shortfall in funding requiring efficiency and/or reprioritisation?Hon TONY RYALL: I am not really sure exactly what those numbers refer to. The member would have to set them down in a written question. What I am quite confident about is that I can say that our average $500 million increase in the appropriation has meant that Budget on Budget we have been able to cover—particularly with reference to district health boards—inflation and the demography change.Hon Annette King: Does Vote Health require an increase of $499 million in this year’s Budget to maintain the current level of service as stated by an economist yesterday; if not has the level of funding recommended by the Ministry of Health increased or decreased from its 4-year Budget plan?Hon TONY RYALL: The member will have to wait until the Budget tomorrow to see what the numbers are in respect of the 4-year outlook for Vote Health. I would have to say that this Government has increased the appropriation by an average of $500 million a year. But actually it is not just the amount of money that counts in respect of health services; it is what is delivered for that money. We would stand on our record as opposed to another record which is that you double the health budget and have fewer operations which is—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Hon Annette King: Did funds from efficiency and reprioritisation by district health boards and Health Benefits Ltd provide Vote Health with an additional $128 million in 2013 as stated in the Ministry of Health’s 4-year Budget plan; if not what were the savings made in that year?Hon TONY RYALL: I would have to check those numbers; I do not have them here with me. It is quite clear that what this Government does every year is we make sure weget new money available for health we look at for example the lowest 0.5 percent of spending and we make those savings available for spending the next year because we think we should continue to find those savings and provide more money for patients’ services. That is how we have increased elective surgery by 40000 extra operations a year compared with when that member was last in Government.Hon Annette King: How much in the funding of Vote Health 2014 will come from reprioritisation and savings made by Health Benefits Ltd and district health boards—something he claimed would be $700 million in savings by 2015?Hon TONY RYALL: I would reject the premise that that member is making because that is certainly not what we have said. She will have to wait until the Budget. The member knows that finance Ministers and all Ministers cannot give comments on the Budget just days before it. That was certainly the case when that member was campaigning against Sir Robert Muldoon—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Hon Annette King: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. In light of the Minister’s answer which I am sure you listened carefully to he said he disputed that he had ever claimed they would make $700 million in savings. I seek leave to table a press report from theNew Zealand Herald in 2012 where he does make that claim.Mr SPEAKER: Order! First point—if the member wants to seek leave to table a document the member should stand nominate the document and give the date etc. without making a political point at the start and then I will put the leave. If it is aNew Zealand Heraldcolumn it is available for all members to research if they want it.