asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the percentage increase or decrease in waiting lists for admission to hospitals in each health area in the North-West of England in each of the last four years;

PERCENTAGE CHANGE COMPARED WITH PREVIOUS YEAR (INCREASE UNLESS OTHER WISE STATED)
Area health authority					1975	1976	1977
Lancashire	…	…	…	…	13·8	6·2	2·3
Bolton	…	…	…	…	38·2	6·0	5·2
Bury	…	…	…	…	29·7	48·9	−26·9
Manchester	…	…	…	…	22·3	−6·2	6·9
Oldham	…	…	…	…	20·4	−0·9	−11·4
Rochdale	…	…	…	…	36·5	33·8	−8·8
Salford	…	…	…	…	16·7	0·2	−5·6
Stockport	…	…	…	…	−0·5	−21·0	−18·0
Tameside	…	…	…	…	−3·5	−10·4	−36·5
Trafford	…	…	…	…	9·6	−8·8	9·3
Wigan	…	…	…	…	−1·6	−1·1	−13·5
North-West region	…	…	…	…	13·7	−0·8	−3·4
England	…	…	…	…	13·7	3·2	−0·8

Changes for earlier years are not compatible with these figures since they are based on hospital management committee boundaries which changed when the National Health Service was reorganised in 1974.