§ Sir CYRIL COBBasked the Minister of Health whether the estimate of 30,000 empty beds in Poor Law institutions refers to the whole of the country; on what date were such beds empty; and whether he will state the number of empty beds, excluding emergency beds, on 31st January and 31st July in each of the years 1918, 1919, and 1920 for London and for the rest of the country, respectively?
465W
§ Dr. ADDISONThe estimate of 30,000 empty beds related to the whole of England and Wales, and was based on information obtained within the last few months. This estimate refers to hospital beds only. The total number of empty beds of all kinds in Poor Law institutions is much larger. I cannot give the figures for earlier years, but there were approximately 13,000 empty beds of all kinds in London and 89,000 in the rest of the country on the 31st January last, and 14,000 in London and 91,000 in the rest of the country on the 31st July.