§ Mr. Grahamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will supply such statistics as are available for the comparative waiting times for treatment in the National Health Service and private practice, respectively.
§ Mr. OwenInformation about National Health Service patients is available in the report of the Hospital 49W Inpatient Inquiry for the year 1972—Preliminary Tables (Table 2), which gives average waiting times for various diagnostic groups of patients. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the table. Comparable information is not, however, available for private patients.