§ Mr. David Youngasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the visits to Bolton made by Ministers in his Department since 1979.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeNo official visits have been made to Bolton by Health Ministers in our Department since 1979.
§ Mr. David Youngasked the Secretary of State for Social Services on how many occasions since 1979 he has discussed with the Bolton district health authority and its predecessor authority the subjects of (a) the Black report and (b) the future of Bolton's new hospital; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeHealth Ministers have had no discussions on these specific matters either with the Bolton health authority or with its predecessor authority. We do of course meet health authority chairmen from time to time for general discussions in various national and regional gatherings and I am sure that the chairman of Bolton DHA will continue to be able to take part in such discussions.
We gave formal approval in October to plans for the first phase of developments at Bolton general hospital. It is now for the North-Western regional health authority to decide what priority it can accord to this development in its capital programme.