§ 17. Mrs. Hartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Western Regional Hospital Board has yet reached a conclusion after its further consideration of the need for maternity provision to be made at Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride.
§ Mr. GalbraithThe Western Regional Hospital Board has decided in principle that a general practitioner maternity unit at Hairmyres Hospital is a desirable long-term development but they see no prospect of providing it until the general redevelopment of hospital services in Lanarkshire has gone much further.
§ Mrs. HartWhile I welcome this statement by the Minister—I can assure him it will also be very warmly welcomed in East Kilbride—may I ask him to convey to the hospital board that there is a good deal more urgency than this Answer seems to indicate, in view of the fact that the number of babies now being born is quite enough to keep a new maternity unit very busy indeed?