§ Mr. Patrick Jenkinasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he intends to introduce legislation to seek to simplify the procedure for consideration by the Health Services Board of applications concerning minor reorganisations in private hospitals, as recommended in the Health Services Board's report for 1977.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe Health Services Board, which was set up following the Health Services Act 1976, has been operating for just over a year and has as yet dealt with only a very small number of applications from private hospitals for authorisations under Part III of the Act (2 in 1977). I have therefore told the Board that I would prefer to consider its recommendation, together with any other points that it may wish to bring to my attention, when it has had more experience of the operation and effectiveness of Part III of the 1976 Act as a whole.