asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what closure of beds is being arranged at St. Mark's Hospital, Islington, as part of cuts in spending in the hospital service; and how much will thereby be saved in the current financial year.

One ward of 14 staffed beds is to be closed temporarily at St. Mark's Hospital from 1st January 1977 as one of the immediate economies being made by City and Hackney health district to counteract overspending on its current budget. Savings from the closure of these beds are expected to be about £18,000 in the last quarter of 1976–1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many local authorities in England and Wales provide meals on wheels at the level recommended in his Department's guidelines; and if and if he will list them.

There is no separate guideline for meals on wheels but my Department has recommended that social services authorities should aim to provide meals in people's own homes and in clubs and centres at a rate of 200 per week per 1,000 elderly population. In a sample week in November 1975 the following 24 social services authorities in England and Wales exceeded this level of provision:

Cleveland, Rotherham, Manchester, Camden, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Barking, Ealing, Haringey, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Merton, Newham, Richmond-upon-Thames, Mid-Glamorgan, South Glamorgan.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many local authorities in England and Wales have increased charges for meals on wheels in 1976–77; and if he will list them.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many local authorities in England and Wales provide a daily service of meals on wheels to those in need; and if he will list them.

Information in these terms is not available centrally but a survey carried out in one week in November 1975 showed that there were people receiving meals on wheels on each of the seven days in question in the following social services authority areas:

Newcastle upon Tyne, Cheshire, Manchester, Salop, Staffordshire, Coventry, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Camden, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Bexley, Bromley, Ealing, Haringey, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Newham, Redbridge, Isle of Wight, West Sussex, Gwynedd.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider giving guidance to local authorities about the minimum standard for provision of meals on wheels services.

This is already under consideration.