§ Ms. PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of hospitals in Scotland in 1979, 1991 and 1992.
§ Mr. StewartThe information requested is shown in the table:
Number of hospitals in Scotland; by type; as at 31st March Year 1NHS 11 2Joint user and contractural 3Independent acute 1979 348 420 5— 1991 289 18 8 1992 283 18 8 1. Hospitals with an approved bed complement. 2. Joint user hospitals are local authority institutions in which accommodation is made available to health boards in terms of the sixth schedule of the National Assistance Act, 1948. Contractual hospitals are institutions where health boards have customer arrangements with voluntary bodies for the use of beds. 3. Institutions subject to the Nursing Homes Registration (Scotland) Act, 1938, of the Mental Health Acts, 1938, or the Mental Health Acts 1960/1984, that provide surgical acute care. 4. As at 30 September 1979. 5. Not available.