asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the need for geriatric accommodation in Hertfordshire, whether she will make available the capital allocation necessary for the planned geriatric unit at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Welwyn Garden City in the immediate future.

I am making a special allocation for geriatric services available to each region. The North-West Thames Regional Health Authority is giving the Welwyn scheme very high priority and will certainly be taking account of the needs of this area in formulating its programme for 1975–76.