asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the provision of hospital services in West Monmouthshire.

I am satisfied that the Welsh Hospital Board has taken full account of the needs of West Monmouthshire in its planning.

The Secretary of State must be easily satisfied. It is not the fault of the Welsh Hospital Board that there is no district general hospital in West Monmouthshire ; it is not the fault of the board or the people of my constituency that 7,000 people in the general area of my constituency are waiting for hospital admission and that three or four times that number are waiting for out-patient treatment. The final insult has come in the form of a circular to general practitioners asking them to refer their patients to a 32-mile round trip for out-patient service at Nevill Hall, Abergavenny. Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman still satisfied?

I said I was satisfied that the Welsh Hospital Board had taken full account of the needs. After 1st April it will fall to the Gwent area health authority in the first place to consider the issues that the hon. Member has mentioned today. I have no doubt that it will take full account of what he has said.