§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the future of the Duchess ward at the Liverpool women's hospital.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeLiverpool health authority has been considering with its professional staffs how they can improve the efficiency of its services. It is confident that it can reduce the time that patients need to stay in the women's hospital, and that it can maintain present levels of services with fewer beds. It has decided to close the Duchess ward, and this should produce savings of the order of £100,000 in a full year.