HC Deb 02 July 1992 vol 210 cc681-2W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish a table showing for each region, and nationally the numbers on the waiting lists as at April and October 1990, 1991 and 1992.

Mr. Sackville

The Department's statistical bulletins are published every six months. These include the total number of people waiting for hospital treatment by region and nationally. The most recent information for the six months to 30 September 1991 was published on 4 June. For provisional figures for the year to March 1992, I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Shersby) on 12 May at columns 489–92. These show that between 31 March 1990 and 31 March 1992 the total number of patients waiting fell by over 43,000 or 4.5 per cent.