asked the Secretary. of State for Social Services how many psycho-geriatric cases are awaiting admission to Ormskirk Hospital; how long is (a) the average waiting time, and (b) the longest waiting time; and what steps he is taking to improve the situation.

There are at present no facilities at Ormskirk and district general hospital for elderly severely mentally infirm patients. Such patients are admitted to Winwick hospital, Warrington, in the Cheshire area, which does not keep a waiting list. A unit for the elderly severely mentally infirm at Ormskirk and district general hospital, with 56 beds and 50 day places, has been included in the North-Western regional health authority's building programme for 1979–80.