§ 23. Mr. Dykesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to receive the report from the Le Quesne working party into the future of the royal national orthopaedic hospital, Stanmore, Middlesex.
§ Mr. John PattenThe working party on orthopaedic services in Bloomsbury, chaired by Professor Le Quesne, was set up by the health authority. The report will therefore be made to the authority, not to the Secretary of114W State. I understand the report will be ready by the end of July. If the report or subsequent consideration of it by the health authority recommends changes to the orthopaedic services in Bloomsbury, then there will be full consultation in the normal way. I have already said that if major changes are proposed in Stanmore then, even if proposals are unopposed by the Community Health Council, the matter will be referred to the Secretary of State before final decisions are taken. The report of the working party would clearly be one of the documents we would need to take into account at that stage if major changes are proposed.