§ Mr. Abseasked the Minister of Health how many hospital beds per thousand of the population the Newport and East Monmouthshire area will have available on completion of the announced hospital plan; how this compares with each other area in Wales; and whether he will take steps to amend the plan to increase the number of beds available in this area.
§ Miss PittNo. Comparison of ratios of beds to population is not valid except in relation to larger areas.
§ Mr. Abseasked the Minister of Health whether he will make available a table showing in each speciality the reclassification of beds in the Newport and East Monmouthshire area and the North Monmouthshire area, respectively, consequent upon the development of the 67W first phase of the base hospital at the Royal Gwent, Newport, the final phase at the Royal Gwent, Newport, and the base hospital at Abergavenny, such table to compare the beds becoming available in each speciality with the number of beds on the basis of the existing national rate.
§ Miss PittCommand Paper 1604 indicates the approximate number of beds to be provided by about 1975 in the main specialties. I cannot undertake to give figures for intervening stages.