§ Mrs. Kellett-Bowmanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the figures for the hospital stay in National Health Service hospitals for the following operations (a) hernia, (b) meniscectomy and (c) hysterectomy; and if he has any comparable information about the length of stay for these operations in private hospitals and in hospitals in the United States of America.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe average length of stay in NHS hospitals in 1979 was 7.4 days for hernia, 7.7 days for meniscectomy and 12.3 days for hysterectomy. I have no comparable information about private hospitals in the United Kingdom but a study is in progress with selected private hospitals which may provide information in due course.
Figures on operations performed in the United States of America are not readily available, but my hon. Friend may
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Comparative levels of Social Security benefits and values of tax allowance to basic rate taxpayers (a) Actual value at October 1955 £ (b) Col. (a) expressed at November 1982 prices* £ (c) Actual value at November 1982 £ (d) Col. (c) as index col. (b) = 100 Married couple retirement pension (per week) 3.25 24.17 52.55 217.4 Single person tax allowance (per annum) 140.00 1,041.14 1,565.00 150.3 Married couple tax allowance (per annum) 240.00 1,784.81 2,445.00 137.0 Family allowance/child benefit plus child tax allowances (where appropriate) for a married couple plus 2 children aged under 11 i. In work (per week) 1.90 14.13 11.70 82.8 ii. Sick† (per week) 2.65 19.71 12.30 62.4 Notes: * Based on the movement in the General Index of Retail Prices. † Includes dependency allowance for children. be able to obtain them from the Public Health Services Division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.