§ 60. Mr. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the need for the establishment at Ballochmyle Hospital of a maternity unit and if he will authorise the Western Regional Hospital Board to meet that requirement.
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§ Mr. GalbraithMy right hon. Friend recognises that the Central Hospital at Irvine is not very conveniently situated for some of the areas which it serves. But the percentage of births in Ayrshire that take place in hospital is above the average for Scotland, and considerably above the figure in other parts of the Western Region. My right hon. Friend cannot hold out any hope of additional provision in the county in the near future, but maternity needs will of course be taken into account in the longterm major redevelopment foreshadowed in his reply to the hon. Member last week.