§ Mr. Shersbyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy to seek to accelerate 244W the rate at which patients from Ealing, Watford, Harrow, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire are treated at hospitals in their respective areas and to ensure that the movement of financial resources from Hillingdon is deferred until this has been achieved.
§ Mr. NewtonStrategic planning for the region as a whole, and resource allocation to district health authorities, is primarily a matter for the North West Thames regional health authority. Where new facilities are being developed and resources redeployed within or between regions, which may have effects on referral patterns, the extent and pace of change is also primarily a matter for the authorities concerned.