§ Ms. PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 10 December,Official Report, column 769, what was the total number of hospitals in Wales in (a) 1979, (b) 1991 and (c) 1992 broken down into (i) the national health service, (ii) joint user and contractuals and (c) independent acute.
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesThere were 173 NHS hospitals open in Wales as at 31 December 1979 and 145 as at 31 December 1991 and 1992.
In addition to these there were six independent acute hospitals open as at 31 March 1991 and 1992. It is not known centrally how many independent acute hospitals there were in Wales in 1979. Some of these hospitals would have treated NHS patients under contractual arrangements.
There are no joint user hospitals in Wales, nor were there any in 1979.