asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take to deal with the situation arising in Glasgow as a result of the structural defects that have been found in the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

The Western Regional Hospital Board has arranged to evacuate all the wards of the hospital. My right hon. Friend has agreed with the Board that if examination confirms that the rest of the hospital is in the same condition as the parts that have already been evacuated and examined, the Board should adjust its programme to plan for the complete replacement of the hospital by a new building on the Yorkhill site to start at the earliest possible date.