HC Deb 14 July 1975 vol 895 c369W
Mr. Shepherd

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will set out in the Official Report the number of hospital beds available to the NHS on 31st March 1949, 1973, 1974 and 1975.

Dr. Owen

Statistics on NHS hospital beds at the dates mentioned are not available. The average number of hospital beds available to the NHS in England and Wales in 1949, 1972, 1973 and 1974 were 501,078; 438,286; 428571: and 420,972, respectively.