§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has about proposed closure of Oswestry district general hospital by Shropshire health authority; and if he will sanction extra finance to avert the potentially deleterious effect on health services for the constituents of the hon. Member for Clwyd, South-West.
§ Mrs. CurrieI understand that Shropshire health authority is considering a number of proposals related to the opening of the new hospital at Telford in 1989. Any proposal involving the closure or change of use of an existing hospital must be subject to the usual consultation procedures. If the community health council objects to the closure, it can only be affected with the agreement of the
86Wbasic retirement pension in payment in 1979–80 and payable after the uprating in 1988–89, respectively, giving the number of retirement pensions in payment during these two years.
§ Mr. ScottThe information requested is included in the table. These figures differ from basic retirement pension levels because they include awards of retirement pension at less than 100 per cent. The average amount of basic retirement pension for women includes both pensions based on their own contributions, and pensions based on their husbands' contributions. The figures exclude pensioners living outside Great Britain.
§ Mrs. CurrieThe notifications for measles and acute meningitis are as set out. Mumps is not a notifiable disease and figures are not therefore available for it. However, mumps is known to lead to approximately 1,200 hospital admissions a year in England and Wales.
We do not collect statistics on hearing impairment as a result of these diseases, but a recent study demonstrated that hearing impairment as a result of bacterial meningitis occurred in 5 to 30 per cent. of cases.
regional health authority and Ministers. At that stage we would consider carefully all the representations that had been made to us.