asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make available to the Northwest Regional Health Authority a special allocation of money to enable the planned new hospital in the Skelmersdale New Town to be started.

No. Hospital services for the people of Skelmersdale will be planned by the North-Western Regional Health Authority and the Lancashire Area Health Authority as explained in my reply to my hon. Friend on 27th January.—[Vol. 904, c. 715.]—I am unable to make revenue addition centrally in respect of new towns. The North-Western Region will, however, be receiving a revenue addition of 3·7 per cent. this coming year to help correct some of the historic deficiencies of health provision in the region.