§ Mr. Paul Deanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of the Government's policy on pay beds in National Health Service hospitals, he is intending to implement the Health Services Board's latest set of proposals laid before Parliament on Wednesday for the withdrawal of a further 179 pay beds from National Health Service hospitals.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinYes. Under the previous Government's legislation, like my colleagues the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales, I am legally bound to implement proposals put to me by the Health Services Board for the withdrawal 351W of pay beds. We have to do this before the date proposed by the Board, in this case before 1 January 1980. We intend to legislate to abolish the Health Services Board and restore our power to authorise pay beds where there is a demand for them, and a Bill will be introduced shortly.