§ 23. Ms StuartTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the number of people on NHS hospital waiting lists(a) on 1 May 1997 and (b) today. [77721]
§ Mr. DenhamThe Government inherited the largest and fastest-rising waiting lists ever. We promised that by April 1999 waiting lists would be lower than the position we inherited of 1.158 million. We have delivered this promise a month early by reducing waiting lists by 193,000 since last April to 1.12 million.