HC Deb 27 November 1991 vol 199 cc543-5W
Mr. Gwilym Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the numbers and percentages of treatments and procedures in Welsh hospitals for patients aged over(a) 60, (b) 75 and (c) 100 years at the latest available date and in 1979, respectively.

Mr. Nicholas Bennett

The information given in the table relates to the number of deaths and discharges from all Welsh hospitals, including mental handicap and mental illness hospitals.

Age of patient
60 and over 75 and over 100 and over
1979
Deaths and discharges 105,787 41,174 15
Percentage1 30.1 11.7 0.0
1989
Deaths and discharges 194,223 89,983 41
Percentage1 36.9 17.1 0.0
1 As percentage of total deaths and discharges.

number
Cambrian Mountains ESA (Original Area) 300
Cambrian Mountains ESA (Extension) 295
Lleyn Peninsula ESA 960
Total 1,555

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estitmate of the savings to the common agriculture policy resulting from reduced output in the designated Welsh environmentally sensitive areas.

Mr. David Hunt

The net budgetary effects of the designated Welsh environmentally sensitive areas form part of the wider socio-economic monitoring studies my Department has commissioned from the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. The university's interim report "Environmentally Sensitive Areas, Wales—Socio Economic Aspects of Designation—Interim—Report—March 1991" was issued in June 1991 and a copy is available in the Library of the House. The final report is due to be submitted to my Department by the end of June A1992.

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state the number of farms below 50 hectares, between 50 and 100 hectares and above 100 hectares which are covered by environmentally sensitive area agreements in each of the Welsh environmentally sensitive areas.

Mr. David Hunt

The number of farms in each size grouping is shown in the table:

Mr. Gwilym Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the numbers of hospitals and hospital beds in Wales in(a) 1974, (b) 1979 and (c) at the latest available date.

Mr. Nicholas Bennett

The information is given in the table:

11974 11979 2 Latest
Number of Hospitals:
NHS 189 173 152
Private n/a n/a 6
Beds
NHS—staffed beds allocated 24,972 23,512 19,534
Private n/a n/a 268
1 As at 31 December.
2 As at 31 March 1990 for private hospitals and 31 March 1991 for NHS hospitals.

As my hon. Friend can see, the number of hospitals and beds has reduced over the lifetime of both Conservative and Labour Governments as new hospitals have replaced outdated health buildings and as new medical techniques and treatments including day cases have reduced the demand for beds. While the number of out-patients in the NHS fell by 3 per cent. in the period 1974–79 it has since risen by 29 per cent. under this Government. Similarly the number of in-patients treated rose by 6 per cent. in 1974–79 and 38 per cent. between 1979 and 1990–91. Day cases are up by a record 233 per cent. since 1979.