§ Mr. Stonehouseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hospital beds there were in England in 1949 and 1974; and what proportion of the 1974 figures was in hospitals built before 1918.
§ Dr. OwenThe average daily numbers of available beds in NHS hospitals in England in 1949 and 1974 were 398,894 and 396,235 respectively.
Information regarding the number of beds in hospitals built before 1918 is not available centrally, but in 1972 it was estimated that 53 per cent. of the overall floor space was in hospitals built before 1919.