§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hospitals, involving how many beds, have been closed in each of the last 10 years; and how many hospitals, involving how many beds, have been opened in each of these years.
§ Mr. John Patten[pursuant to his reply, 14 November 1983, c. 334]: Information available centrally on hospital closures follows. For information on the opening of hospitals I refer the hon. Member to my hon. and learned Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 4 November 1983.—[Vol. 47, c. 491.]
288W
Hospitals approved for closure Year Hospital Beds 1974 43 2,426 1975 43 1,977 1976 48 1,801 1977 72 3,908 1978 54 4,895 1979 28 1,987 1980 42 2,542 1981 32 2,017 1982 17 895 *1983 34 2,312 contractual hours to which the rates relate. For example, if the shorter working week introduced for nurses in 1980–81 were reflected as an increase in hourly rates of pay, the increase in that year would have been 37.0 per cent.