§ 16. Sir J. Hendersonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hospital patients in Scotland were suffering from tuberculosis during each of the years 1951, 1957 and 1963.
§ Mr. StodartThe numbers of hospital beds occupied by patients suffering from respiratory or non-respiratory tuberculosis in the years in question were as follows:
| 1951 | … | … | … | 5,947 |
| 1957 | … | … | … | 4,674 |
| 1963 | … | … | … | 1,582. |
§ Sir J. HendersonThe figures given by the Minister will be welcomed by the people of Scotland. May I ask my hon. Friend if the beds occupied 390 formerly by T.B. cases are now available for general hospital use?
§ Mr. StodartThere is certainly no surplus of beds to hospital requirements. The greatly lessened need for such beds over the past few years has resulted in the closure of some of these types of hospitals, either in whole or in part, and the diversion of beds in others to different uses, for example the accommodation of geriatric patients.
§ Mr. RossCould the hon. Gentleman try to correct the impression that he has given by stating the number of patients admitted rather than the number of beds that were used. If he will look at the figures which I had in answer to a similar Question a few days ago, he will discover that I was given an entirely different set of figures. Although the trend was much the same, there was a greater number of patients—7,900 and 4,500.
§ Mr. StodartI shall certainly take note of that. I am afraid that my memory does not carry the number of figures which the hon. Gentleman has given.