§ 31 and 32. Mr. N. McLeanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) whether he is aware that at present there is no maternity hospital nearer than Oban or Inverness to deal with maternity cases from Fort William, Lochaber and the Mallaig area; and what steps he is taking to ensure that adequate maternity coverage is provided for this area as soon as possible;
(2) whether he is aware that the antiquated and unsatisfactory state of the buildings at Belford Hospital at Fort William is causing inconvenience to the 115W staff and patients; what are the reasons for the delay in starting work on the proposed new hospital; and when work is expected to start.
§ Mr. Nixon BrowneMy right hon. Friend has approved in principle proposals by the Northern Regional Hospital Board to build a new 52 bed hospital in Fort William. The maternity beds in this new hospital will serve the areas mentioned by my hon. Friend. Negotiations for a site are now in progress and my right hon. Friend is anxious that the project should go forward with all reasonable speed.